Our Own Forensic Experts to be Sued by State Government

Minister Hulls and Cameron have authorised Freehills acting on behalf of Victoria Police to lodge writs in the Federal Court (hearing @ 2.15PM today Friday 3 October) seeking unspecified damages against 38 of our own expert forensic scientists.

These unsworn officers are employed by Victoria Police at the State Forensic Science Centre in Macleod.

VicPol even allowed the process servers to enter the high security SFSC yesterday afternoon to serve the staff, mostly young women.

The forensic staff, employees in the Drug and Alcohol Division, are refusing to provide evidence at court for fear to their own health and safety following incorrect allegations about drug handling processes leaked to the AGE newspaper last week.

These unsourced allegations have impugned the reputation of all expert forensic staff who have asked for a public statement of support from Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon.

Defence Counsel are already asking other SFSC staff about these investigations in unrelated criminal cases in their attempts to cast doubt about the expert nature of the evidence that these officers provide.

These allegations have been circulating around for almost two years yet Police refuse to act against the individual(s).

Police internal investigation processes and Ethical Standards have both cleared the staff on 2 previous occasions.

Some more sensible approach would have been better than this unprecedented action by a Labor Government using Work Choices to seek fines against their own key prosecution witnesses.

As the largest employer in the state there is no reason to bypass all existing dispute resolution mechanism and the Industrial Relations Commission by going straight to Court.

It is an appalling use of public resources when a conversation and a public statement of support would have settled the matter.

This Court action confirms the bullying culture that permeates throughout, not only Victoria Police, but all direct Government Employment.

The action is seeking unspecified fines to force these Forensic staff to jeopardise there own health and safety and potentially all upcoming Crown prosecutions.

It s a tale of two workforces at Victoria Police as they refuse to support their own expert witnesses because they are not Police.

This is also the worst duplicity as the Government stands to reap a windfall gain if it is allowed to avoid its own health and safety obligations by using Work Choices while it prosecutes other employers every day for breaching theirs.

This is not co-incidental and is occurring at a time when the State Government is reviewing the Accident Compensation Act and looking to further diminish the rights of direct government employees.