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ICAC are a 'lawless mob': Cunneen

Top NSW silk Margaret Cunneen has welcomed a report that found the ICAC investigation into her was 'unreasonable'.

Crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen
Margaret Cunneen says the NSW corruption watchdog acted with "lawlessness" in its pursuit of her. (AAP)

Crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen says the NSW corruption watchdog acted with extreme "lawlessness" in its dogged pursuit of her.

Ms Cunneen has also questioned how the Independent Commission Against Corruption was granted search warrants to seize her phone during the investigation, despite them already being in the watchdog's possession.

A scathing report into the bungled investigation released on Friday, found it was "unreasonable" for the ICAC to conduct Operation Hale - which looked at whether Ms Cunneen had encouraged her son's girlfriend to fake chest pains to avoid a breath test after a car crash.

The watchdog's inspector David Levine said ICAC's conduct during several parts of the controversial investigation constituted "unjust, oppressive maladministration", and he found ICAC had acted "unlawfully" when it seized the mobile phones of Ms Cunneen and others.

"This (was) just lawlessness to the extreme," Ms Cunneen told Sydney Radio 2GB on Monday.

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"The abuse of power of granting a warrant for something the organisation already holds has (also) got to be called into question," she said.

Ms Cunneen also questioned how much money was spent surveying her and her family during the investigation.

"One wonders where all the resources come (from) ... if there are such resources available for this lawless mob to spend on following innocent families over nothing," she said.

The top NSW silk said she would not seek further court action because she and her family wanted to move on.

The Commission on Friday rejected Mr Levine's report, saying it contained a number of legal and factual inaccuracies.

ICAC Commissioner Megan Latham, who is facing calls to step down, also accused Mr Levine of failing to meet his legal obligation to provide procedural fairness to the Commission.


2 min read

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Source: AAP


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