Suppression orders
Next Entries »Media gagged on Health Board report
Friday, February 29th, 2008The Director-General of Health has won an injunction preventing media publication of a draft report into the conflict of interest at the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board. The Herald is reporting that the court order also requires the media to deliver up any copies they may hold. The Dominion Post reports: But last night the Crown […]
Case exposes vulnerable underbelly of contempt laws
Friday, February 15th, 2008An Australian judge has banned the broadcast of a TV series about the mafia in Victoria (it can be broadcast elsewhere in Australia) because it may prejudice upcoming mafia trials. Of course, people have recorded it and put it online, and now anyone in Victoria who wants to is downloading and watching it. Some media may […]
Tribute to John Burrows
Thursday, February 7th, 2008The University of Canterbury’s law school held a conference in honour of John Burrows last weekend. It was called “Law, Liberty and Legislation” and covered the broad sweep of issues that Professor Burrows has expertise in – from statute and contract law to media law (he’s written the leading texts in all three). On the […]
Free speech audit in Australia
Thursday, December 6th, 2007Former NSW Ombudsman Irene Moss has conducted an audit into the state of free speech in Australia and concluded that “free speech and media freedom are being whittled away by gradual and sometimes almost imperceptible degrees.” I confess I’m always a bit suspicious of death-by-a-thousand-cuts claims, since they often overlook or underestimate the ways in which free […]
S-G contacts Fairfax about contempt
Friday, November 23rd, 2007The Solicitor-General is reportedly asking Fairfax newspapers to explain their actions (publishing the “terrorism files” information), saying they may be in contempt. The story doesn’t say whether he’s suggesting they breached the Crimes Act, too, by publishing information obtained by interception warrants. A “please-explain” letter strikes me as a bit odd in the circumstances. What […]
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