Allegations that South Australia's Independent Commissioner Against Corruption has abused his powers were not backed by particulars or evidence, a parliamentary committee has heard.
Commissioner Bruce Lander on Monday faced a parliamentary committee investigating proposed legislation to allow him to conduct some of his hearings in public.
He used his opening statement to reject the comments of senior lawyer Michael Abbott QC, who earlier this month gave evidence that ICAC hearings are "star chamber" affairs that amounted to "trial by ambush".
Mr Lander said the expression "star chamber" is a pejorative term used to describe decision-making bodies that act in private and make arbitrary rulings.
"If Mr Abbott's complaint is that I act in private, the answer is I act in private because I'm obliged to under the ICAC Act," he said.
"If Mr Abbott's complaint is that I make arbitrary decisions, I reject that complaint.
"Arbritrary decisions that have not followed a process consistent with the rules of administrative law are amenable to judicial review in the Supreme Court."
Mr Lander added that no such application for judicial review has been made since he was appointed in 2013.
Mr Abbott has represented former Labor ministers Tom Koutsantonis and Leesa Vlahos in ICAC hearings into the controversial Gillman land sale and the Oakden nursing home scandal.
Mr Lander said Mr Abbott's evidence to the committee that the ICAC's power had been abused was "one of the most serious allegations that could be made about a person in (his) position".
"It is an assertation that should have been tested with an ardent scrutiny, but that, of course, is a matter for the committee," he said.
The introduction of some public ICAC hearings was a Liberal Party election promise and Premier Steven Marshall said recently his government remained determined to follow through on its pledge.
