Final wi??????tness appears in james hardie inquiry over alleged breach of solicitor’s act, says Ombudsman
Updated
A lawyer for one of Australia’s most famous lawyers who was the subject of a major corruption investigation over alleged breaches of solicitor’s act may be appointed to the High Court??? judge in the case, the Ombudsman has said.
The High Court judge, who is hearing the matter, is likely to hear witnesses from lawyers from the Australian Law Institute, the Australian Bar Association, and one other institution.
All three organisations have already been made aware of the appointment.
Former solicitors general Michael Groom, former solicitors general Michael Sargent and former assistant solicitor general Peter Martin were suspended from the legal profession after a series of high profile and embarrassing legal matters were revealed in the national media.
The High Court of Australia is hearing the case involving the three former solicitors general.
In a statement to the ABC yesterday afternoon, Attorney-General George Brandis said the High Court had been given notice of the inquiry in September 2014.
It said it considered its notice and made a finding in the matter in April last year and would wait for the High Court to hear the case after that.
“In our view these are matters we are concerned about and we are currently conducting an assessment of our options for reviewing this review,” Attorney-General Brandis said.
Groom was the subject of a separate inquiry by the Independent Commission Against Corruption into what he says were serious matters that ha?????ve tarnished his reputations, with witnesses including Victorian police and the Australian Federal Police.
Mr Groom has also been the subject of a criminal investigation in the US into his business activities there.
The Justice Department’s Inspector General, Ian Altman, told the ABC in September 2014 that the US Attorney-General had expressed concerns about him for failing to make financial disclosure statements required for the purpose of the investigation.
In its statement to the ABC yesterday afternoon, the Australian Law Institute said they were aware of the appointment to the High Court judge and were seeking confirmation of the appointment’s details.
Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, law-crime-and-justice-531, australia
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