THE ICAC is resisting moves to hand to judges its powers to authorise searches, seizures and the compelling of witnesses to give information.
Dr Helmut Sohmen, chairman of the powerful ICAC Review Committee, said last night his group was ''moving towards'' the idea of using independent officers, such as magistrates, to authorise many of the powers now in the hands of the commissioner.
The idea reflected the more than 98 written submissions to the committee, now half-way through its work of reviewing the powers and accountability of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
''In many other law enforcement agencies you have to go to the courts to use such powers, and these are the sort of procedural safeguards we are looking at,'' Dr Sohmen said following a committee meeting.
ICAC Commissioner Bertrand de Speville and Director of Operations Jim Buckle briefed the nine-member committee but said they felt the secretive, elusive nature of corruption meant the power of authority should remain with them.
While the ICAC had been co-operative and supported the need for review, Dr Sohmen said, ''they certainly did not suggest it [losing powers of authorisation] and they are reluctant and that's understandable''.
''They are law enforcers and they don't want to see their effectiveness or ability to do their job threatened . . . their argument was the peculiar nature of corruption,'' he said, stressing the committee's views were a long way from fixed.
