Charges sought over Mulrunji inquest comments

The Australian Council for Civil Liberties says it will be asking the Queensland Attorney-General to charge Police Union president Gary Wilkinson over his scathing comments about a coroner's finding into an Aboriginal death in custody.

Mr Wilkinson attacked the integrity of acting state coroner Christine Clements last week, after she found Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley was responsible for the death of a Palm Island man two years ago.

Mr Wilkinson accused Ms Clements of conducting a witch-hunt and described her findings as rubbish.

The council's president, Terry O'Gorman, says he will be writing to Attorney-General Linda Lavarch requesting she take action.

"Sergeant Wilkinson needs to be charged with contempt," he said.

"If I, as a lawyer, had of made that sort of comment or anything approaching that sort of comment about an individual magistrate or judge, there would have been a rush to pinch me for contempt.

"Contempt is there to ensure that the judiciary is not brought into contempt by ill-judged comments."

Mr O'Gorman says it is one of the worst attacks on a senior judicial figure in Australian legal history.