Legal experts condemn Scott Morrison?s continuing attacks on Icac as ?disgraceful? and ?stupid?

Legal experts have labelled Scott Morrison's latest attacks on the New South Wales corruption watchdog "disgraceful" and "stupid", as the Liberal party ramps up efforts to have Gladys Berejiklian contest the federal seat of Warringah.

On Monday, the prime minister doubled down on his previous comments in parliament last week when he called the Independent Commission Against Corruption a "kangaroo court," and accused it of trying to "publicly humiliate" the former NSW premier.

"Gladys was put in a position of actually having to stand down and there was no findings of anything," Morrison said on Monday, in advance of any possible findings by Icac. Berejiklian resigned voluntarily in September, in line with her own ruling that an MP who is a substantial subject of an investigation must stand aside.

"I don't call that justice. What I saw was a pile on," Morrison said.

Icac is investigating whether Berejiklian failed to declare a conflict of interest due to her secret relationship with the then MP for Wagga, Daryl Maguire, when she was involved in awarding lucrative grants to Maguire's electorate as treasurer and later as premier. Berejiklian has denied any wrongdoing and Icac is yet to hand down its findings.

There's growing speculation the former NSW premier will put her hand up for Liberal preselection to run against Zali Steggall in the northern Sydney electorate, after the independent won it from former prime minister Tony Abbott in 2019.

The chair of the Centre for Public Integrity and former NSW supreme court judge, Anthony Whealy, criticised Morrison for dismissing the serious issues raised by the Icac inquiry.