Shock Sydney Lawyer X claim made in Bassam Hamzy case

A court case involving jailed underworld figure Bassam Hamzy has heard Sydney has its own legal scandal involving a Lawyer X.

Exclusive: Sydney has its own legal scandal involving a Lawyer X and the public has a right to know about it, a court has been told.

The stunning revelation came at a hearing for jailed underworld figure Bassam Hamzy, when his lawyer, Zali Burrows, opposed an application to suppress the names of 11 police witnesses in his case.

When Local Court Magistrate Geraldine Beattie asked Ms Burrows why she was against the suppression orders, she told the court “this case involves Sydney’s Lawyer X and the public have a right to know” about it.

Melbourne’s Lawyer X was former barrister, Nicola Gobbo, who had been working as a police informer revealing confidential information about her gangland clients. The revelation sparked the Royal Commission into the Mismanagement of Police Informants and claims that more than 1000 cases could have been impacted by information that was obtained improperly or illegally.

Brother For Life leader Bassam Hamzy.

Victoria Police were lashed by the Commissioner Margaret McMurdo in the Royal Commission’s final report for their willingness to “tolerate bending the rules” to solve crimes, moves which corrupted the criminal justice system.

The police were also ordered to disclose documents to 1011 people whose cases may have directly or indirectly been affected by Ms Gobbo’s actions.

Melbourne lawyer Nicola Gobbo, who has been revealed as Lawyer X. Picture: ABC

In Hamzy’s case, which relates to the execution of teenager Brayden Dillon, the NSW Commissioner of Police has applied for the suppression order for the names of witnesses.

This has been granted in other related cases, on the grounds of protecting the safety of the witnesses and to “prevent prejudice to the proper administration of justice”.

15-year-old Brayden Dillon who was shot. Source: Supplied.

The application said it was necessary “in the public interest for the order to be made and that public interest significantly outweighed the public interest in open justice”.

But Ms Burrows argued Hamzy had not had the opportunity to be heard on the matter of suppressing the witness names and he knew all the people involved. She also argued the matters have been known for many years.

Hamzy, who is serving 40 years in prison for a string of serious offences, faces charges of perverting the course of justice and directing a criminal group in relation to Dillion’s 2017 murder.

The charges relate to interference in the investigation.

Dillion, 15, was asleep at his home at Glenfield in Sydney’s southwest on Good Friday in 2017 when gunman Conrad Craig shot him in the head.

Craig is appealing a 40 year jail term for killing him in an act of “revenge” on behalf of the Brothers For Life street gang, which was founded by Hamzy.

The application will now be heard at a later date.

Originally published as Shock Sydney Lawyer X claim made in Bassam Hamzy case