WA Coroner rejects bid to stand down from Dodd inquest

WA Coroner Philip Urquhart has rejected a bid by Deputy Corrective Services Commissioner Christine Ginbey to remove himself from an inquest into the death of Cleveland Dodd in youth detention last year,

Ms Ginbey’s lawyer, Grant Donaldson SC, submitted on Friday Mr Urquhart had demonstrated “apprehended bias” against Ms Ginbey while she was giving evidence.

Mr Urquhart has presided over the inquest since the day after Cleveland’s death, when he visited Unit 18 and has sat for a total of 27 days so far.

Mr Urquhart said an apprehension of bias needed to be “firmly established”, which was a “high bar that reflects the gravity of the application”.

He then stated he was probing whether Cleveland’s death was preventable and predictable.

Mr Urquhart said “other department witnesses have been much more willing to accept the criticisms made” and added he was confident a “hypothetical observer” would have been satisfied a “forensically passive approach” in questioning Ms Ginbey was not the only method of questioning.

The Coroner Urquhart rejected 10 allegations, but acknowledged an error had been made in one part of Ms Ginbey’s questioning over a key document being provided late.

The inquest will now hear from a final group of witnesses this week.