❓ The WA Government approved funding for legal representation for police officers and public servants called as witnesses before the Royal Commission into Allegations of Police Corruption. This aims to minimise conflicts of interest and ensure fairness and accountability.
AnsweredQoN 879Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Will the minister inform the House of steps taken by the Government to ensure that police officers have appropriate legal representation when appearing before the Royal Commission into Allegations of Police Corruption in Western Australia? Mrs ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for some notice of this question and the member’s obvious interest in police matters. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government has approved a funding proposal to provide legal representation for police officers and public servants employed by the Police Service who are called as witnesses before the royal commission. After examining the operations of royal commissions in Queensland and New South Wales, there are clear indications that such a proposal will be beneficial to officers and the royal commission. The primary benefit of funding legal representation is the minimisation of conflicts of interest. Each witness will be represented by a lawyer who has no other direct or indirect involvement in the matters at issue before the royal commission. This will enable the development of discrete relationships between witnesses and the lawyers and, when appropriate, with officers of the royal commission. It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question and the member’s obvious interest in police matters. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government has approved a funding proposal to provide legal representation for police officers and public servants employed by the Police Service who are called as witnesses before the royal commission. After examining the operations of royal commissions in Queensland and New South Wales, there are clear indications that such a proposal will be beneficial to officers and the royal commission. The primary benefit of funding legal representation is the minimisation of conflicts of interest. Each witness will be represented by a lawyer who has no other direct or indirect involvement in the matters at issue before the royal commission. This will enable the development of discrete relationships between witnesses and the lawyers and, when appropriate, with officers of the royal commission. It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
I thank the member for some notice of this question and the member’s obvious interest in police matters. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government has approved a funding proposal to provide legal representation for police officers and public servants employed by the Police Service who are called as witnesses before the royal commission. After examining the operations of royal commissions in Queensland and New South Wales, there are clear indications that such a proposal will be beneficial to officers and the royal commission. The primary benefit of funding legal representation is the minimisation of conflicts of interest. Each witness will be represented by a lawyer who has no other direct or indirect involvement in the matters at issue before the royal commission. This will enable the development of discrete relationships between witnesses and the lawyers and, when appropriate, with officers of the royal commission. It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
After examining the operations of royal commissions in Queensland and New South Wales, there are clear indications that such a proposal will be beneficial to officers and the royal commission. The primary benefit of funding legal representation is the minimisation of conflicts of interest. Each witness will be represented by a lawyer who has no other direct or indirect involvement in the matters at issue before the royal commission. This will enable the development of discrete relationships between witnesses and the lawyers and, when appropriate, with officers of the royal commission. It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
Mrs ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for some notice of this question and the member’s obvious interest in police matters. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government has approved a funding proposal to provide legal representation for police officers and public servants employed by the Police Service who are called as witnesses before the royal commission. After examining the operations of royal commissions in Queensland and New South Wales, there are clear indications that such a proposal will be beneficial to officers and the royal commission. The primary benefit of funding legal representation is the minimisation of conflicts of interest. Each witness will be represented by a lawyer who has no other direct or indirect involvement in the matters at issue before the royal commission. This will enable the development of discrete relationships between witnesses and the lawyers and, when appropriate, with officers of the royal commission. It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
I thank the member for some notice of this question and the member’s obvious interest in police matters. I am pleased to inform the House that the Government has approved a funding proposal to provide legal representation for police officers and public servants employed by the Police Service who are called as witnesses before the royal commission. After examining the operations of royal commissions in Queensland and New South Wales, there are clear indications that such a proposal will be beneficial to officers and the royal commission. The primary benefit of funding legal representation is the minimisation of conflicts of interest. Each witness will be represented by a lawyer who has no other direct or indirect involvement in the matters at issue before the royal commission. This will enable the development of discrete relationships between witnesses and the lawyers and, when appropriate, with officers of the royal commission. It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
After examining the operations of royal commissions in Queensland and New South Wales, there are clear indications that such a proposal will be beneficial to officers and the royal commission. The primary benefit of funding legal representation is the minimisation of conflicts of interest. Each witness will be represented by a lawyer who has no other direct or indirect involvement in the matters at issue before the royal commission. This will enable the development of discrete relationships between witnesses and the lawyers and, when appropriate, with officers of the royal commission. It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
It is hoped that a fee structure of approximately $800 a day will apply. That is the equivalent of that presently applied by the Western Australian Director of Public Prosecutions and the Legal Aid Commission of Western Australia. Importantly, police officers appearing before the royal commission will have access to a lawyer of their choice. This is on the condition that lawyers of choice accept the standard rates. Alternatively, those entitled to government-funded legal representation can choose a lawyer from a panel available. In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
In deciding to fund legal representation of police officers appearing before the royal commission the Government has bolstered the practical integrity of the inquiry. The message is clear: the Government is committed to stopping police corruption, but in an environment of openness, fairness and accountability. The Government will ensure that police officers attending the royal commission are properly represented.
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