Una Jagose Under Attack

Survivors of the Abuse in Care scandal are seeking the removal of Power Lawyer Solicitor-General Una Jagose.

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The calls follow the Government apology following the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. They argue that without significant change, including Jagose’s removal, they lack confidence in the Crown’s accountability.

Jagose, appointed in 2016 and reappointed in May for a two-year term, has been at the center of criticism for her handling of abuse cases during her tenure at Crown Law.

Survivors say that her approach has been aggressive and re-traumatizing, particularly in cases related to the Lake Alice psychiatric hospital and other state care institutions.

The Royal Commission’s redress report, released in 2021, highlighted the Crown’s aggressive legal strategies in dealing with survivors’ claims, which included invoking the statute of limitations, withdrawing legal aid funding, and withholding crucial documents.

The report condemned the use of significant resources to deny survivors their voice and defend what it termed “the indefensible.”

Jagose’s involvement in specific cases has drawn particular scrutiny.

In the case of Lake Alice survivor Leoni McInroe, Crown Law, under Jagose’s leadership, fought the claim for years and withheld vital documents from the police.

Similarly, in the landmark “White case,” Crown Law spent $90,000 on private investigators and pursued re-traumatizing lines of questioning during the trial.

The Solicitor-General’s handling of Keith Wiffin’s case, involving abuse at Epuni Boys’ Home, has also been criticized. Internal emails revealed suggestions by Jagose to use psychological stress on survivor claimants as a legal strategy.

While Jagose has since acknowledged that the events at Lake Alice constituted torture and has stated that Crown Law has changed its approach to litigation, survivors remain skeptical.

Attorney-General Judith Collins has expressed continued confidence in Jagose, citing changes in Crown Law’s approach to civil litigation since the early 2000s. These changes include agreements to stop using the Limitation Act for certain cases, adopting a more survivor-focused approach to name suppression, and efforts to settle claims promptly.

However, survivors and advocates maintain that these changes are insufficient. They argue that Jagose’s long history of dealing with survivors’ claims compromises her ability to lead the redress process effectively.

The controversy extends beyond Jagose to the broader issue of government accountability and transparency in handling historical abuse cases. Survivors are calling for meaningful action to accompany any government apology, emphasizing the need for integrity and transparency in the process.

Whether Una Jagose’s head will be handed to the Government is another matter. Probably not.