A Miscarriage of Justice?
- Will Halliday
- Jan 9, 2023
- 2 min read
Judicial inquiry into Ngo political assassination.
A JUDICIAL inquiry has been launched into the conviction of Australia's only political assassin, with a former Supreme Court judge to decide whether there has been a miscarriage of justice.
By Lisa Davies - June 6, 2008. Daily Telegraph
A JUDICIAL inquiry has been launched into the conviction of Australia's only political assassin, with a former Supreme Court judge to decide whether there has been a miscarriage of justice.
NSW Chief Justice James Spigelman last night granted the review after receiving an application for the review from Australian National University law lecturer Hugh Selby last week. His application inquiry followed an examination of the case on ABC TV’s Four Corners program in April. Phuong Ngo was convicted on June 29, 2001 for the murder of NSW MP John Newman, who was gunned down outside in the south-west Sydney suburb of Cabramatta on September 5, 1994. Ngo, a former local counsellor, was found to have ordered the killing but not of actually carrying it out. Mr Newman was shot twice in the chest at point-blank range as he returned home from a Labor party branch meeting. Justice Spigelman ordered the review under section 79 of the Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act of 2001. “Whereas it appears that there is a question as to part of the evidence in the proceedings leading to the conviction of Phuong Ngo … I hereby direct that an inquiry be conduction into the conviction of (him) in accordance with (the legislation),” Justice Spigelman said in his order. Justice Spigelman appointed Acting Justice David Patten to conduct the inquiry, but it was understood the hearings would not be public. Acting Justice Patten would determine the terms of his inquiry in coming days.
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