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| NEWS > 27 September 2006 |
Other related articles:
One inquiry that never saw the
TWELVE years before the Fitzgerald inquiry exposed systematic police corruption in Queensland, a judicial inquiry was proposed to probe concerns about police interrogation techniques and allegations that evidence was being fabricated.
Secret documents released from the Bjelke-Petersen era have revealed that in October 1975 justice minister Mr (later Sir William) Knox approached Cabinet with a detailed proposal for a judicial inquiry into the enforcement of criminal law in Queensland.
But despite his urging, Cabinet documents released yesterday show the proposal was withd... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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The Standard
27 September 2006
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Ex-officer blasts hearing
This hearing has taken away any possibility of a fair trial for these officers.'' Neil Patterson
FORMER district police superintentent Neil Patterson has blasted the State Government over the Office of Police Integrity hearings involving major crime squad members.
Mr Patterson, who lives in Warrnambool, said when he read reports of the proceedings he thought it seemed like some proceeding being run in a Third World country.
Angered by the development he emailed Melbourne's two daily newspapers an open letter to Premier Steve Bracks describing the
controversial hearings as sinister and a denial of normal justice for police. An edited version was published
yesterday by one of the papers.
Three detectives in the disbanded Armed Offenders Squad were suspended last week following the hearing into allegations of police brutality.
``The complainants in these matters are not even required to give evidence under oath in a public hearing, nor are they required to be identified,'' Mr Patterson wrote.
``Are you so naive to think that by allowing this type of inquisition to take place that it will solve all of your perceived problems within the Victoria Police?
``What happened to the rule of law. What happened to the right to confront your accusers?
``What happened to the presumption of innocence?''
Mr Patterson told The Standard last night he was not expecting an official reply from the Government, but hoped his letter would help stop ``this nonsense''. ``After 41 years in the force I found this new development alarming,'' he said.
``This hearing has taken away any possibility of a fair trial for these officers.
``How could you select a fair jury now?
``It's a bit like a star chamber where they are asked questions and told they have to answer.''
Mr Patterson predicted a secret hearing by the force where the three detectives would be dismissed.
``In the past if a police officer gave someone a bit of biffo and went over the top it would go to an open court hearing, but the OPI did not conduct a fair hearing,'' he said.
Mr Patterson, who retired from the force six years ago, said he was ashamed at the way the proceedings were being conducted.
``I am not condoning unlawful behaviour by any person, but every person in Victoria has certain rights under the law, which has been in existence for centuries,'' he said.
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