Law Enforcement Conduct Commission

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For similarly named organisations, see List of police complaints authorities.

Law Enforcement Conduct Commission
AbbreviationLECC
Agency overview
Formed1 July 2017 (2017-07-01)
Preceding agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionNew South Wales, Australia
Operational structure
Overviewed by Inspectorate and parliamentary committee
  • Inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission
  • Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission and the Crime Commission
Website
www.lecc.nsw.gov.au

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission is responsible for investigating allegations of serious misconduct by the NSW Police Force and NSW Crime Commission. It was established on 1 July 2017 to replace the Police Integrity Commission[1]

The Inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission is a statutory position which investigates complaints against the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) in New South Wales, a state of Australia. It was established along with the LECC on 1 July 2017.[2] The first Inspector to be appointed was former Supreme Court judge Terry Buddin, in 2017.[3]

History[]

The establishment of the LECC was first announced in 2015.[4] In January 2017, it was announced that former NSW Supreme Court justice Michael Adams would be its first Chief Commissioner.[5] In February 2020 it was announced that the government had decided not to extend Adams' contract as Chief Commissioner, and that it would look for a new Commissioner.[6]

Investigations[]

In March 2021, a Commission investigation found that police officers tasked with investigating outlaw motorcycle gangs had harassed a solicitor in retaliation for his actions in representing a member of one of those gangs in criminal proceedings. Due to the police harassment, the solicitor was forced to withdraw from representing his client.[7]

Controversy[]

In March 2018, the LECC complained that, due to funding cuts, it had been unable to investigate over 50 complaints of police misconduct over the preceding seven months.[8]

In August 2018, Chief Commissioner Adams alleged that the then-NSW Police Minister, Troy Grant, had instructed him not to hire senior staff from the former Police Integrity Commission, on the grounds that doing so would upset the police union, the NSW Police Association.[9]

In June 2020, the NSW Government proposed expanding the eligibility for the role of Chief Commissioner beyond retired judges; the state opposition objected that the proposal was an example of the government "failing to take oversight bodies seriously".[10]

References[]

  1. ^ "Our history". LECC. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Office of the Inspector of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission". Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  3. ^ "NOMINEES FOR KEY INTEGRITY INSTITUTIONS" (PDF). 22 June 2017.
  4. ^ Olding, Rachel (26 November 2015). "Police Integrity Commission scrapped in the biggest overhaul of police oversight in 20 years". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  5. ^ Nicholls, Sean (13 January 2017). "Supreme Court judge Michael Adams set to lead new police watchdog". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  6. ^ McGowan, Michael (5 February 2020). "Strip search inquiry cut short after NSW government sacks commissioner". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  7. ^ Taylor, Josh (26 March 2021). "Two NSW police officers harassed and intimidated solicitor of man linked to motorcycle gang". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  8. ^ McGowan, Michael (13 March 2018). "NSW police watchdog says cuts forced it to ignore misconduct complaints". the Guardian. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  9. ^ McGowan, Michael (30 August 2018). "NSW police anti-corruption head says minister tried to influence hiring". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  10. ^ Whitbourn, Michaela (18 June 2020). "Plan to strip police watchdog of judicially trained chief commissioner". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2021.


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