Lawyers from the Australian Lawyers Alliance in Victora are deeply concerned that the state is unilaterally removing common law rights by introducing laws blocking anyone seeking to sue Victoria Police in relation to Lawyer X.
"It is a very dangerous precedent," said Susan Accary, Victorian President, Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
"Any law that seeks to limit or extinguish someone's right to sue the government for corruption should be hugely concerning to the community at large.
"If an individual is wrongfully convicted, of course they should be entitled to sue for damages. Each case deserves to be judged on its merits, and this proposed law is grossly unfair.
"It also sends the wrong message about police accountability.
"The issue with this legislation is that it extinguishes the fundamental civil rights of individuals, but it also tries to preclude our courts from administering justice and examining the alleged corrupt conduct of public officials."
