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Timeline set down for Shane Drumgold’s legal challenge

ACT's former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold has won a legal challenge against an inquiry report.

ACT's former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold has won a legal challenge against an inquiry report. Photo: AAP

A timeline has been set for the legal challenge of the ACT’s former top prosecutor Shane Drumgold, with the case to involve hundreds of thousands of documents.

Mr Drumgold is taking legal action against the ACT government and the board of inquiry – chaired by Walter Sofronoff KC – into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann.

Mr Sofronoff made scathing findings against the former prosecutor.

ACT Supreme Court registrar Jayne Reece ordered a two-day hearing be set down for February 12-13 next year.

The ACT Supreme Court was told on Thursday that there may be more than 180,000 documents in the possession of the territory’s chief minister and could be included in the case.

Kate Eastman, for the ACT, said the government wanted to avoid delay and “significant” costs associated with a drawn out process relating to the discovery of documents.

She said under the Inquiries Act, any documents or things that were included in the board of inquiry were committed to the chief minister for “safe-keeping”.

Ms Reece narrowed down the scope of the documents that may be involved to make the proceedings efficient.

Last week, the court was told Victorian Judge Stephen Kaye was set to be appointed as an acting judge to hear the case.

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins accused Mr Lehrmann, her ex-colleague, of raping her inside a ministerial office at Parliament House after a night out in 2019.

Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegation.

In October 2022, Mr Lehrmann faced a criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court, but juror misconduct derailed the proceedings and the trial was discontinued.

Mr Drumgold dropped the prosecution against Mr Lehrmann, fearing the impact of a second trial on Ms Higgins’ mental health.

He resigned as director of public prosecutions in August after the inquiry made adverse findings against him.

– AAP

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