The Dominion Post
May 5 2004
Secret police files to be opened
by Paul Mulrooney
Thousands of secret
files will be thrown open after a select committee ruled that a commission of
inquiry, investigating past rape allegations against police, could inspect
them.
Parliament's law and order select committee has recommended that temporary
provisions in the Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill be granted
allowing the commission to inspect secret police files.
The commission should be able to decide itself whether some secret evidence
should be suppressed, it has ruled.
The proposed change would throw open thousands of files containing the evidence
of witnesses previously assured that their evidence would be kept secret.
Parliament is expected to debate the second reading of the bill tomorrow.
Police Association president Greg O'Connor believed the inquiry's objectives
could still be achieved while maintaining the secrecy of names mentioned in
secret evidence.
But the committee said the commission should have discretion to decide whether
evidence should be suppressed. The inquiry was set up to investigate
allegations by Louise Nicholas that she was pack-raped by
Due to the inquiry's "unique circumstances" the bill's provisions
should apply only to this commission, the committee said.
Mr O'Connor wondered whether such assurances could be guaranteed.
"Who is to say that once it's been done once, it won't be done next
time?"
Mr O'Connor agreed the commission should have access to all the information
needed but said there needed to be a guaranteed right of privacy on all PCA
evidence.