Police union members fighting to lift secrecy orders in case involving high-ranking officials told there will be no immediate change

Police union members fighting to lift blanket secrecy orders across a case involving high-ranking officials have been told why there will be no immediate change.

Police union members fighting to lift “quite unprecedented” blanket secrecy orders in a case involving high-ranking officials have been told there will be no immediate change because an appeal is underway.

The members say they’ve been kept in the dark despite use of union funds to pay the legal fees of president Mark Carroll, secretary Bernadette Zimmermann and the Police Association of South Australia (PASA).

All three are respondents in a case brought by former PASA deputy president Samantha Strange, who is understood to be seeking access to a range of documents – including some related to an independent investigation into the conduct of Mr Carroll.

A decision on that matter was handed down on June 7, but the District Court heard on Wednesday that an appeal process is now underway.

In the hearing, PASA member Paulene Porter – on behalf of a group of members – was joined to the case as an “interested party” attempting to have the secrecy order removed.

The order was first made several months ago at the request of Mr Carroll.

Andrew Carpenter and Paulene Porter outside court on Wednesday morning. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

Auxiliary Master Steve Roder acknowledged “the general public interest in access to justice” but said there should be no immediate change to the orders.

“My view is that the status quo should remain, pending the appeal,” he said.

Outside, Andrew Carpenter, representing Ms Porter, said the secrecy surrounding the case was “quite unprecedented”.

He said PASA members should be allowed to know where their money is being spent.

“We’re trying to seek transparency (on) behalf of the police officers who spend their hard-earned money on PASA, to find out what their funds are being used for,” he said.

“Obviously during the middle of an election they want to know what’s happening ... we’re not saying there’s any wrongdoing, we just want to know what’s happened.”

Originally published as Police union members fighting to lift secrecy orders in case involving high-ranking officials told there will be no immediate change