Rob Karam handed documents for Lawyer X appeal

Convicted drug baron Rob Karam’s legal team have been handed documents revealing how Lawyer X informed on his case, in a bid to have his jail sentence over turned.

Convicted drug baron Rob Karam’s two and a half year fight to get police to disclose documents revealing how Lawyer X — aka defence barrister Nicola Gobbo — informed on him have been pried from Victoria Police’s clutches.

The Court of Appeal heard today the “first tranche’’ of documents, understood to be voluminous, were on their way to Karam’s defence team.

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Five tranches in all will be disclosed to the jailed drug trafficker.

But they are set to be heavily redacted by police.

Three Court of Appeal justices, Chris Maxwell, Mark Weinberg and David Beach were eager to get the disclosure issues dealt with so Karam’s appeal could be heard.

There have been significant delays in providing documents to Karam’s legal team during years of legal argument over the legitimacy of allegations levelled at Lawyer X — and whether Gobbo was in fact a registered police informer.

Justice Maxwell, the Appeal Court’s president asked how Victoria Police could not have documents ready for disclosure after years of litigation.

Rob Karam was sentenced to stay behind bars until he turns 70 on major drug importation charges.

Rob Karam (left) may be the first major criminal to walk free because of the Lawyer X scandal.

“We are of the view that we should, as it were, reiterate the position we made in 2016 … we want this brought on for determination with all speed,’’ Justice Maxwell said.

He said the proceeding had been in the court of appeal for two and a half years under a strict secrecy regime.

Justice Weinberg also expressed his frustrations at the delays.

“It does seem to me we’ve spent a long time on this case … as the president has said,’’ Justice Weinberg remarked.

Brendan Murphy QC, acting on behalf of Victoria Police chief commissioner said: “the position of Victoria Police, it could be compared to pushing an elephant into a phone box.’’

Lawyers at the directions hearing represented the Australian Federal Police commissioner, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and Karam.

At the heart of the argument surrounding the disclosure of documents is what can be redacted under public interest immunity provisions.

Nicola Gobbo was revealed to be Lawyer X in February 2019.

Police methodology, other informers and issues considered sensitive and not relevant to Karam will be blacked out by police.

It is likely these redactions will be contested when the court hearings get underway.

The court heard that significant resources had been devoted to the identification of documents relevant to the Karam appeal against conviction.

The force only this week added more staff to identify relevant documents in which Gobbo informed on Karam.

Karam has also made a submission to the Royal Commission into the management of police informants.

The court has asked the chief commissioner to give it a status report on its progress identifying information on cases potentially tainted by Gobbo, widely known as Lawyer X.

Barrister Raelene Sharp, for the Commonwealth DPP, told the court it was hoped “significant amount of facts’’ would be agreed with Karam’s defence team.