SA government to review Finnigan case

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has announced a review of the four-year prosecution of disgraced independent MP Bernard Finnigan.

Independent South Australian MP Bernard Finnigan

The SA government will review the prosecution of disgraced independent MP Bernard Finnigan. (AAP)

The South Australian government will review the prosecution of disgraced independent MP Bernard Finnigan.

Premier Jay Weatherill says Attorney-General John Rau will review the conduct of the case which took more than four years from the first child pornography charges being laid to Finnigan being found guilty on one charge this week.

Mr Weatherill has also outlined the process for replacing Finnigan in parliament's upper house after he quit on Thursday, with a joint sitting of both houses to be held on December 1.

Labor will get to fill the casual vacancy as Finnigan was initially elected as a Labor member and the party's state executive will meet on Monday to open nominations.

The premier also confirmed the government has sought legal advice on whether it can recover some or all of the more than $600,000 Finnigan was paid from when he was first charged in 2011.

Finnigan tendered his resignation from the Legislative Council on Thursday, two days after being found guilty of accessing child pornography.

"It is not my wish to promote further political uncertainty or to provoke some form of constitutional dispute over the power of the Legislative Council to expel a member," he said in a statement.

Finnigan, 42, said he made his decision after careful consideration of views expressed by his colleagues, family and friends and was also conscious of the need to protect the dignity of the parliament.

Before his decision to quit, Finnigan's lawyers were understood to have told the parliament he could not be removed immediately and should continue to hold his seat pending a possible appeal.

His case returns to the District Court on November 30 for sentencing submissions.


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Source: AAP



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