Police won't appeal 'unlawful' Hager search

Police won't appeal 'unlawful' Hager search

The police will not appeal a High Court decision which ruled their raid on investigative journalist Nicky Hager's home in the wake of the Dirty Politics saga was "fundamentally unlawful".

A judgement released by Justice Denis Clifford in December said police failed to disclose the relevant information to a judge when applying for a warrant, making it and the resulting search "fundamentally unlawful".

In a statement Hager's lawyer, Felix Geiringer, says police are "not electing to appeal" the decision.

However, there are still other issues which need to be worked out, including police getting Hager's private banking information without a warrant as well as costs and damages.

Hager's case against police will continue on these grounds.

"Mr Hager says he is pleased that the Police have accepted the Judge's decision that their actions were unlawful. The Police are not to contesting the finding that the warrant was unlawful," the statement says.

"This means the most important part of this saga is now concluded," Hager says.

The decision not to appeal means Hager is entitled to get his belongings back, including computers equipment and documents which have been at the High Court for more than a year.

Police say they'll work with Hager to have those possessions given back.

"Having my work materials and machines kept from me for over a year has been a considerable inconvenience," Hager says. "I will be relieved to have them back."

Police spent hours at Hager's home on October 2 2014, in the months following the release of his Dirty Politics book, which provided the backdrop to much of that year's general election.

It was based on hacked emails and information given to Hager by a hacker known as Rawshark, who downloaded blogger Cameron Slater's emails.

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