Vic inquiry could hurt police reputations

The reputations of two Victorian police officers are at the centre of a bid to have hearings into their alleged serious misconduct heard in secret.

The claims against the pair include the use of excessive force against a vulnerable prisoner.

Barristers acting for the Ballarat officers, who have been stood down, say allowing the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission to publicly question them could damage their reputations and prejudice a fair trial should they be charged.

Ted Woodward SC counsel for the commission, told the hearing on Thursday that while the default position of IBAC is to hold private hearings there are provisions for public examinations in exceptional circumstances - as was the case in this situation.

But barrister David Grace QC said four alleged incidents over five years did not amount to exceptional circumstances.

Mr Grace and Dermott Dann, who each represent one of the two officers, have also sought to prevent an opening statement to the commission and CCTV footage of alleged incidents being made public.

Mr Dann said the opening statement referred to a culture of excessive force by officers at Ballarat and includes references to a number of incidents that had nothing to do with his client.

IBAC wants to publicly question the two officers, a man and woman whose names have both been suppressed, over the alleged assault of a woman, another police officer, in January.

Neither officer has been interviewed or criminally charged.

Earlier incidents allegedly involve two women being placed in choke holds by male officers in 2009 and a woman under arrest being forcibly handled by a male and female officer in 2010.

The hearing, before Justice Peter Riordan, resumes on Friday.