The Australian lawyer of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange wants the federal government to find out why airport staff told her she was on a watch list needing special approval to return to Australia.
Addressing lawyers at the Commonwealth Regional Law Conference on Friday, Jennifer Robinson said Heathrow staff had told her that she was on an "inhibited travel list" when she tried to take a flight from London to Sydney, and couldn't be checked in until they had spoken with Australia House.
"I have not heard a thing from the Australian government," Ms Robinson told AAP after the conference in Sydney.
"The position, as I understand it, is that they don't know what it is, they have got nothing to do with it and, as far as they're concerned, it's not their problem," Ms Robinson said.
She believes she may be in danger because the public has confused her actions with those of her client, who is waiting to find out whether he will be extradited to Sweden to face sex crime allegations.
Ms Robinson said she told Mr Assange of the airport incident in a brief conversation on Thursday night.
"I think he is concerned and very interested as to why this happened and why it would happen now," she said.
"There have been issues around the world with those associated with WikiLeaks having issues in airports and he likes to be kept apprised of things if they do happen."
Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, who spoke at the conference earlier on Friday, said the government had no knowledge of the travel restrictions until Ms Robinson herself found out.
Ms Robinson said she expected Australia to seek answers on whether she had been placed on any governmental watch list or why any Australian citizen would need to be cleared by the embassy before boarding a plane.
"The way it has been described to me is that the word 'inhibited' is one that is used only by US homeland security ... but I simply do not know," she said.
Ms Roxon said Department of Foreign Affairs officials were speaking to UK authorities to understand what happened at the airport.