Media Mutiny !

The conviction of Cardinal George Pell  for sexually abusing two choirboys was the culmination of  a very long pursuit of paedophile activity within the Roman Catholic church.  The fact that Pell ranked high in the Catholic hierarchy made his conviction world news.

Unfortunately for the Australian media that conviction was subject to a suppression order, meaning that it could not be reported in newspapers by order of the judge hearing the case.  Pell was facing trial on a second matter and it was felt that the publicity over his conviction would tend to influence the jury which would have to decide guilt on the evidence presented in court, to the exclusion of all other areas of influence.

That suppression order only applied to media in Australia and the Pell conviction quickly became breaking news on the world stage.  It was the lead item on both the BBC and CNN and there is no doubt that most Australians became aware of the conviction from a wide variety of uncensored sources.  The Australian media decided to ignore that suppression order - and ran the story. Just days later, that second trial was abandoned when it was decided that crucial evidence was not admissible, and so the suppression order was cancelled.

Now - long after Pell was sentenced to six years in prison and commenced his confinement, the Victorian Department of Public Prosecutions has  named thirty-six organizations and individuals in the Supreme court to be charged with contempt of court.  Should they be found guilty that conviction could result in either a fine or imprisonment, or both.

Contempt of court for ignoring suppression orders has long plagued journalists and firebrand Derryn  Hinch famously served time for that offence, and now he sits in Federal parliament.  If this prosecution goes ahead it is shaping up as a contest between such newspaper heavyweights as the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian, the Age, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Review and the editors and leading journalists who head those papers.

There is a very obvious defence that will make this prosecution a test case under Australian law.   None of the newspapers facing this charge named George Pell or his rank as Cardinal in their report of the trials conclusion.  Technically, they do not appear to have broken that suppression order when they reported that a leading priest had been found guilty of a sexual offence.

The government is the master of the DPP and this coming prosecution has all the hallmarks of a political witch hunt.   The Victorian government is taking on a very powerful entity which has the means of shaping public opinion.  This nations newspapers are certain to try the case in their public forum and whatever the outcome the decision that matters will be the one that takes place in the minds of most people.

In fact, the continuation of suppresson orders probably hinges on this outcome.