DILI, 08 july 2022 (TATOLI) – The Australian Attorney-General, the Hon. Mark Dreyfus QC MP has discontinued the prosecution of Mr. Bernard Collaery under section 71 of the Judiciary Act 1903.
“In taking this decision I have had careful regard to our national security, our national interest, and the proper administration of justice,” Dreyfus said in a statement released on Thursday.
Dreyfus said: “It is my view that the prosecution of Mr. Collaery should end.
“I have therefore decided to exercise my power under section 71 of the Judiciary Act not to proceed with the prosecution of Mr. Collaery.”
He stressed that his decision to discontinue the prosecution was informed by the Government’s commitment to protecting Australia’s national interest, including its national security and Australia’s relationships with its close neighbors.
The Attorney-General has notified the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, and Mr. Collaery’s legal representatives.
Bernard Collaery is an Australian lawyer and former politician who was charged in 2018 after assisting his client, an Australian ex-spy identified only as Witness K, to disclose information about the Australian spying operation in Timor-Leste.
ABC reported that Collaery thanked his legal team in a statement, and said the decision would allow him to move on.
“I am very pleased that the new Attorney-General has looked at this prosecution and all it has involved and taken steps to bring the case to an end. This is a good decision for the administration of justice in Australia,” Collaery was quoted as saying in a report on ABC News.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
