The Northern Territory's Children's Commissioner is seeking 'recompense' after attempts to prosecute her for abuse of office were derailed in the NT Supreme Court last month.
Ms Gwynne faced a three-year police investigation and criminal trial over allegations she sought to appoint her friend Laura Dewson as the assistant children’s commissioner.
“The administrative action taken at various levels of government, the way in which decisions were made adverse to her interests and the manner of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment and police investigation have had a significant permanent effect on her,” the letter, dated April 13, says.
A Department of Attorney-General and Justice spokesman confirmed “advice was sought from the Solicitor for the Northern Territory, however we are unable to comment on the matter as this information is confidential and subject to privilege”. “This phone call, which was not officially a grievance due to Ms Hucks’ unsuitability for the position, triggered a sequence of events of events that include a misconceived police investigation and a subsequent criminal prosecution which was fatally flawed from the outset.”
Mr Bowden writes “the immediate referral to the Police Commissioner avoided the impending institution of the ICAC. Had the matter been referred to ICAC a thorough statutory process of investigation would have been triggered and Ms Gwynne would have been afforded an opportunity to put forward her position.
“The subsequent revelations of surveillance and intercept material in evidence has itself caused tremendous emotional and psychological trauma to our client, knowing that every private conversation entered into – whether for business or private purposes – was actively monitored by the police, even though a senior officer in the Special References Unit had advised on 16 January 2019 that if Brian Mappas had conveyed the SFNT legal advice to Commissioner Gwynne as to her legal powers as delegate...
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