Some of Victoria's highest profile criminals could be among those telling their stories to the state's royal commission into police informants, sparked by the 'Lawyer X' scandal.
Drug lord Tony Mokbel and several other crooks linked to Melbourne's gangland saga are reportedly considering appeals to their lengthy prison sentences as a result of the lawyer's recruitment by police to dish the dirt on clients and help secure convictions.
Royal commissioner Margaret McMurdo called for written submissions on Thursday before public hearings start at the end of March.
"Input from individuals, particularly those who may have been directly affected by (Lawyer X's) conduct, is essential to the royal commission's inquiry," Ms McMurdo said.
If the claims against Lawyer X - who cannot be named for legal reasons - are proven, they constitute a severe breach of client confidentiality, Victorian Bar Council president Matthew Collins QC said.
"The culture of the legal profession is and has always been that the fundamental duty is a duty of confidentiality towards one's client," Mr Collins told ABC radio.
"Where that is breached that is as egregious as it gets. You lose your ticket for this kind of thing."
Multiple lawyers were used by police as informers and Mr Collins was quick to defend his profession.
"The lawyers of Victoria are as horrified as the rest of the community by what is being revealed.
"The conduct that is being revealed is recognised universally as being so egregious, so beyond what is acceptable, that it has come as a shock to us just as it has come as a shock to the rest of the community."
Attorney-General Jill Hennessy yesterday revealed the scandal had expanded, including that Lawyer X was recruited a decade earlier than previously reported and other lawyers were also feeding information to police.
Barrister Jack Rush QC, a former Supreme Court judge, labelled the scandal a disaster.
"I was stunned to learn that potentially six more people are involved so that really does tend to cause a great deal of concern," he said, noting the majority of people who practise law do the right thing.
Lawyer X leaked information about clients to police during the height of Melbourne's gangland war and has been linked to hundreds of convictions and the seizure of more than $60 million in assets.
The lawyer's links to police stretched back to 1995.
The royal commission's terms of reference are yet to be completed, but will include examination of police recruitment of sources.
"It will also examine the use of such human source information in the broader criminal justice system, including whether these procedures should be used, and if so, how they can be best implemented in the future," the commission said.
Commissioner McMurdo is due to make an opening statement during a directions hearing next week.
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