AUSTRALIA 
Haneef lawyers fast-track appeal for withheld documents
Wednesday, 14 May, 2008
Dr Mohamed Haneef. (AAP)
Lawyers for former terrorism suspect Dr Mohamed Haneef have succeeded in fast-tracking a court challenge to secure withheld immigration department documents.
If the appeal to the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal proves successful, Dr Haneef's legal team plan to provide the documents to the judicial inquiry into the handling of their client's case.
Lawyer Rod Hodgson said the appeal was lodged last week after the immigration department withheld some documents Dr Haneef's legal team had applied for under freedom of information legislation.
The tribunal today agreed to fast-track the matter for a hearing on June 16 and 17 so the documents could be provided to the inquiry headed by John Clarke QC before it reported to the federal government on September 30.
Mr Hodgson said the hearing could become irrelevant if the department chose to provide the withheld information to the inquiry.
However, the inquiry did not have coercive powers to force the department to provide any information, he said.
"We can't place our full reliance in the promises of cooperation from those authorities," Mr Hodgson said.
"We are pleased to have been able to fast-track it because we think that it is vital that we give the Clarke inquiry every bit of documentation we can obtain."
Source: AAP
If the appeal to the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal proves successful, Dr Haneef's legal team plan to provide the documents to the judicial inquiry into the handling of their client's case.
Lawyer Rod Hodgson said the appeal was lodged last week after the immigration department withheld some documents Dr Haneef's legal team had applied for under freedom of information legislation.
The tribunal today agreed to fast-track the matter for a hearing on June 16 and 17 so the documents could be provided to the inquiry headed by John Clarke QC before it reported to the federal government on September 30.
Mr Hodgson said the hearing could become irrelevant if the department chose to provide the withheld information to the inquiry.
However, the inquiry did not have coercive powers to force the department to provide any information, he said.
"We can't place our full reliance in the promises of cooperation from those authorities," Mr Hodgson said.
"We are pleased to have been able to fast-track it because we think that it is vital that we give the Clarke inquiry every bit of documentation we can obtain."
Source: AAP
