A judge failed to properly consider remarks from a top Australian Federal Police official that the ABC says shows the force did not consider a range of public interest grounds before applying for a warrant to raid the broadcaster's Sydney headquarters, a court has heard.

The AFP is investigating a series of 2017 reports by the ABC called The Afghan Files about alleged unlawful killings by some Australian Defence Force personnel.

Lawyers for the ABC argued that remarks by acting AFP Commissioner Neil Gaughan showed federal police did not consider the public interest when applying for a warrant to raid the ABC. Credit:AAP

The public broadcaster brought legal action in the wake of the raid, challenging the validity of the warrant that underpinned it in an effort to stop the AFP accessing the documents its officers took.

Barrister Matt Collins, SC, acting for the ABC, said at Tuesday's Federal Court hearing that comments made by then-AFP acting commissioner Neil Gaughan the day after the June raid showed police had not considered the importance of investigative, public-interest journalism.