Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC extends leave again

Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC was due to return to his post this week after about a month-and-a-half away.

On Wednesday, ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said Mr Drumgold had requested another extension of leave until August 30.

"Anthony Williamson SC will continue to act in the role during this time," Mr Rattenbury said.

Mr Williamson, one of Mr Drumgold's deputies, was appointed acting director in mid-May after his boss repeatedly came under fire at an inquiry into the Bruce Lehrmann case.

Mr Drumgold was, ironically, the first person to call for the inquiry into the case against former Liberal Party staffer Mr Lehrmann, who denies raping Brittany Higgins at Parliament House when the pair worked for Senator Linda Reynolds in 2019.

No findings have been made against Mr Lehrmann, with the rape charge levelled at him abandoned in the wake of a mistrial brought about by juror misconduct.

Mr Drumgold has alleged police improperly pressured him not to prosecute Mr Lehrmann.

He has also claimed investigators aligned themselves with Mr Lehrmann's lawyers once a charge was laid, telling the inquiry he feared federal politicians might have pressured police to make the matter "go away".

Mr Drumgold subsequently conceded he had been "mistaken" about the possibility of a political conspiracy.

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He has also admitted misrepresenting a document to Chief Justice Lucy McCallum in court, though he insists he did not do this intentionally.

Further, he conceded he should have given television host Lisa Wilkinson a stronger warning about an infamous speech that resulted in Mr Lehrmann's trial being delayed for months.

Following his series of damaging concessions, Mr Drumgold requested leave.

He did not return to the witness box to complete his evidence to the inquiry, which is expected to report to the territory government this month with its findings on the conduct of Mr Drumgold, police and ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates.

Canberra's legal community has been abuzz recently with rumours one of the top lawyers in NSW is being lined up to become the ACT's first female Director of Public Prosecutions.

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