"We want to believe in our heroes," Dr Nelson said. “As far as I'm concerned, no element of the media should be judge and jury on any of these things. Leave it to the inquiry. But I say to the people doing the inquiry: can you damn well get on with it." Australian War Memorial director Brendan Nelson and Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith. Credit: Katherine Griffiths Former NSW Court of Appeal judge Anthony Whealy said Dr Nelson's comments were a “highly inappropriate” effort to pressure the judge leading the inquiry. "It may be that Dr Nelson has a good relationship with a target of the inquiry but the board should make sure Dr Nelson does not overstep his role as war memorial chief executive," Mr Whealy said.

"It is inappropriate to attack Justice Brereton or to push him to speed up an inquiry that needs to be painstaking and thorough. Justice Brereton is one of Australia's most thorough and respected judges." NSW RSL president James Brown, a former Army captain, also said the investigation should take as long as required given the serious and complex issues being examined. Mr Roberts-Smith denies involvement in the deaths of unarmed detainees and has launched defamation proceedings against Fairfax Media for its reports of the investigation. Mr Roberts-Smith was on hand to help unveil plans for the war memorial's $500 million expansion in Canberra on Thursday. Powerful backers including Australian War Memorial chairman and billionaire media mogul Kerry Stokes have dug in behind the former soldier.

Mr Stokes, who Mr Roberts-Smith works for, was asked whether he was concerned a senior employee at his Seven West Media empire was the subject of such a serious investigation. "No," he replied. "They'll make their report." Loading In a defence document recently lodged with the Federal Court, Fairfax Media argues it did not defame Mr Roberts-Smith but even if it did, the publisher could prove the truth of a series of allegations including war crimes. In support of its truth defence, Fairfax Media alleges Mr Roberts-Smith was involved in six unlawful killings in Afghanistan, including an alleged incident in which he kicked an unarmed and handcuffed Afghan man off a cliff before ordering a soldier to shoot him.

Dr Nelson has previously said war was a "messy business" and unless there had been the "most egregious breaches of laws of armed conflict, we should leave it all alone". The president of the Victorian Bar Association Matt Collins QC also cautioned Dr Nelson over his most recent comments. "It is vital for the integrity of the inquiry that the judge feel unconstrained from pressure from any party. Justice Brereton is hugely respected and known for his fairness," Mr Collins said. Dr Nelson director physically embraced Mr Roberts-Smith at Thursday's event, where he was seated towards the front of Parliament's Great Hall with other VIP guests. The towering figure also appeared in a video promoting the expansion. In an interview with radio host Alan Jones earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said anyone who had leaked against Mr Roberts-Smith were "just not showing any of the values" the VC winner had.