Sealed documents from one of the most explosive scandals in Australian political and judicial history have been released by Federal Parliament, and detail a series of allegations about misconduct by a former high court justice.

The classified documents from the parliamentary commission of inquiry into justice Lionel Murphy paint a picture of dealings between one of the nation's senior judicial officers and Sydney gangland figures.

Murphy and his family have long maintained his innocence, and have described the commission of inquiry as something of a witch hunt.

Among the thousands of pages released today are 14 allegations of misconduct by Murphy while in office, which were presented to Murphy's legal team before he died in 1986.

The allegations include that in 1979, Murphy tried to bribe police officer Donald Thomas to become an inside source in the soon to be created Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The commission alleged Murphy's friend, Sydney solicitor Morgan Ryan, was at the meeting with Mr Thomas, who was offered the job of assistant commissioner of the AFP.

Sorry, this video has expired Archival footage shows Lionel Murphy found not guilty

Further allegations involve Murphy, Mr Ryan and notorious Sydney organised crime figure Abe Saffron.

The commission alleged Mr Saffron had been drafted in to intimidate a man who was trying to prosecute Murphy, former prime minister Gough Whitlam and two Labor ministers over the so-called "loans affair".

The affair involved the Whitlam government trying to borrow money from Middle Eastern nations, and happened in the lead-up to the dismissal in 1975.

His family maintains the release of the classified documents should never have happened.

"It really was persecution, it was a witch hunt where there was one thing after another, and it didn't end until he died," his son Cameron Murphy told the ABC.

Among the other allegations are that Murphy worked with then New South Wales premier Neville Wran to influence property deals, including on Sydney's Luna Park.

The sealed documents also outline a number of scurrilous allegations that the commission dismissed due to a lack of evidence, including that Murphy was a Soviet spy.

Murphy served on the High Court bench from 1975 until his death in 1986, and had previously been a Labor senator for New South Wales.

He served as attorney-general in the Whitlam government, alongside Jim McClelland.

Lionel Murphy being interviewed at the ABC. ( Supplied: Heide Smith )

"Nothing bores me more than the ensaintment of Lionel, he was anything but saintly I assure you," Mr McClelland said in 1996.

Murphy's reputation fluctuated over the years

Murphy was convicted and later acquitted of trying to influence a New South Wales magistrate in a trial involving his associate Morgan Ryan.

That case was where Murphy's notorious nickname for Ryan of "my little mate" was first asserted.

After the acquittal, the Hawke government asked parliament to set up a commission of inquiry, chaired by three retired judges to investigate Murphy.

Former NSW director of public prosecutions Nick Cowdery was the junior counsel in the case against Murphy.

"It needs to be understood, a verdict of not guilty is not in any way a finding of innocence," Mr Cowdery told the ABC.

Another former High Court justice, Michael Kirby, gave character evidence for Murphy at the time of his first trial.

"Lionel Murphy was certainly progressive, some at the time thought he was too activist," Mr Kirby said.

Sorry, this video has expired Justice Murphy died from cancer in 1986

Murphy's reputation swung from that of legislative visionary to reckless firebrand.

He was attorney-general when Australia started the process of abolishing the death penalty, but was also responsible for a bungled raid on the headquarters of domestic spy agency ASIO.

"He didn't care about hierarchies, or what schools people went to, or whether they had money," barrister Angela Bowne said.

"He just bypassed all that, and I think that threatened a lot of conservatives."