Axed coal licence left family venture with loan to repay
After talking to the NSW government for five years, drilling contractor Warwick Howarth felt he had no option but to resort to litigation to recoup the $28 million loss that...
Crucial decision for misconduct in public office
Repercussions from a brief hearing yesterday in the NSW Supreme Court are set to affect every politician and public official. The circumstances in which they risk criminal prosecution over decisions...
Ex-premier’s secret evidence ‘must be heard: Ian Macdonald
After having his criminal conviction quashed and being ordered to face a retrial, former NSW minister Ian Macdonald is taking legal advice on whether to call Labor senator Kristina Keneally...
Appeals Court gives ministers clear view of the law
Ministers in every government — state and federal — are the biggest winners from yesterday’s courtroom victory in NSW by Ian Macdonald and John Maitland. They now have the benefit of...
Christian Porter’s proposal protects the rule of law
Christian Porter’s proposal for a federal anti-corruption commission has achieved something remarkable. The Attorney-General has positioned the Morrison government as the champion of human rights. Equally remarkable is the reality...
Federal ICAC backers must learn from state wrongs
So far, the collateral damage inflicted on the innocent has been given insufficient attention by those who are clamouring for a federal equivalent of the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption....
No need for a federal ICAC, and definitely not NSW’s type
With a little effort, benefits can be discerned from even the most lunatic of ideas. And so it is with the present push to create a federal ICAC. A bill...
Getting on the turps not a good look for an ‘independent’ body
What happened to Andrew Cornwell is so troubling it deserves to be taught in law schools as an example of how fragile human rights can be when subjected to attack...
Margaret Cunneen calls for ICAC review system
NSW prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC has called for the state’s anti-corruption agency to be subjected to a new system of merits review aimed at weeding out mistakes that currently remain...
Bret Walker’s presumption point would bring ICAC back into line
As a former president of the Law Council of Australia and the NSW Bar Association, the opinions of Bret Walker SC on questions of law are keenly sought. He has...