The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) has been exonerated of maladministration claims. 

Concerns were raised about ICAC’s prolonged investigation into former premier Gladys Berejiklian, and despite the significant delay in releasing its findings, ICAC has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

ICAC faced criticism for taking nearly two years to conclude its report on Ms. Berejiklian, referred to as Operation Keppel. 

The investigation found the former premier involved in “serious corrupt conduct”, although it did not recommend pursuing criminal charges.

Gail Furness SC, the independent inspector overseeing ICAC's operations, initiated an investigation in response to complaints regarding the delay in finalising the Operation Keppel report and the media's presence during its presentation in the NSW parliament. 

Furness has now determined that while the delay was significant, it did not constitute maladministration. 

She stated that it was serious but “not unreasonable, unjust, oppressive, or improperly discriminatory”.

Acknowledging the considerable impact of the delay, the report noted that Ms Berejiklian resigned because she could not anticipate how long ICAC's investigation would take. 

It turned out to be one year and eight months, affecting the reputation of many individuals during the report's extended completion period.

Regarding ICAC's conduct, the inspector found that all involved in Operation Keppel acted diligently and in good faith. 

However, she suggested that ICAC needed to reconsider its work methods to meet key performance indicators more efficiently.

The inspector's recommendations for ICAC include shortening the length of submissions from counsel assisting and those in reply, improving the review process, and finding more efficient ways to produce reports during editing and proofing. 

The report emphasised that ICAC should actively seek additional resources if its current resources are insufficient to ensure timely reporting.

Regarding the media presence during the release of the Operation Keppel report, the inspector concluded that ICAC did not make the decision to permit media access. 

She stated her satisfaction that there was no misconduct or maladministration in this regard.

More details are accessible here.