Underbelly inquiry

THE Victoria Police chiefs who authorised the use of a gangland lawyer as a secret informer are to face the spotlight of a royal commission into the unprecedented legal scandal.

Former chief commissioners Simon Overland and Christine Nixon are among the high-profile witnesses likely to be called to face the inquiry, which the Andrews Government wants to see held in public from early next year.

The Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office and the Office of Public Prosecutions are also expected to face significant scrutiny over their role in the use of Lawyer X as an informer. Attorney-General Jill Hennessy said yesterday the commissioners would want “as much direct source information as possible”.