Four media outlets, including the ABC, have launched a Supreme Court challenge to overturn a suppression order that conceals the identity of a high-profile Queensland man involved in an extortion case. The order, imposed by the Cairns Magistrates Court, prevents the publication of names and details of all parties, including the married public figure who is neither a witness nor a direct target of the alleged extortion.
The extortion case involves a man charged with threatening to reveal information about his former partner and the married public figure. Acting Magistrate Gelma Meoli issued the non-publication order on Monday, arguing that suppressing the married man's name was essential to protect the complainant and prevent the accused from achieving the extortion's objective publicly.
Lawyers for the media outlets sought a judicial review before Justice James Henry in a closed court on Wednesday. The hearing was adjourned to July 31 at the Supreme Court in Cairns, where parties will argue whether proceedings should remain closed. The accused man's barrister, Brydie Bilic, previously opposed including the high-profile man's name in the suppression order.
Magistrate Meoli acknowledged the married man's high public profile but stated the order was not based on potential embarrassment or reputational harm. She emphasized that the threat to expose him was central to the extortion charge. It has not been alleged that the married man had any knowledge of the extortion. The accused is next due in court on July 28.
