Office raided ... Canberra barrister Bernard Collaery.

Office raided ... Canberra barrister Bernard Collaery. Photo: Jeffrey Chan



Authorities have reportedly raided the offices of Canberra lawyer and former ACT attorney-general Bernard Collaery.


The ABC is reporting Mr Collaery said the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation seized files from his office on Tuesday.


The files reportedly relate to his work representing East Timor in its spying case against Australia.


Fairfax Media is seeking comment from Mr Collaery, who is in The Hague.


He reportedly told the ABC that ASIO staff had not revealed any details of the search warrant they used.


"I mean how absurd," he told PM.


"I have no way at this moment of knowing the legal basis upon which these unprecedented actions [took place] - raiding my law offices to procure evidence which is about to go on the table in The Hague."


He told the ABC he had evidence Australia had bugged East Timor ahead of negotiations over a treaty dealing with oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.


I can't see what the Government hopes to achieve by this aggressive action," he said.


"It can attempt to nullify the whistleblower's evidence, but that evidence has flown - the evidence is here, it's abroad, it's ready."


More to come.