1 Oct 2013

No second inquest in soldier's death

6:11 pm on 1 October 2013

The deputy solicitor general has rejected calls for a new inquest into the death of a soldier in Afghanistan last year.

Corporal Douglas Hughes, 26, who served at Forward Patrol Base Romero in north-eastern Bamyan province, was killed in April 2012.

His family had asked for the second inquest claiming there was new evidence which could have altered the finding of the first.

But the deputy solicitor general says the information received from the family does not constitute new evidence and would not have materially affected the outcome.

The uncle of Corporal Hughes says he wants a suppressed report into his nephew's death to be made public and is upset with the decision.

Mr Poa says he wants a suppression order lifted on a Defence Force court of inquiry report into his nephew's death and will take court action.