Attorney General wades into press freedom debate, says his approval is needed before journalists can be charged

The debate around press freedom has taken another turn with the federal Attorney General Christian Porter issuing a directive which prevents journalists being charged under certain sections of Australia’s secrecy laws without his formal approval.

The order could shield News Corp’s Annika Smethurst and the ABC’s Dan Oakes and Sam Clark who were named in Australia Federal Police (AFP) warrants used during raids in June and have not yet been cleared of any criminal charges. The move, however, has ignited debate about an elected politician’s direct involvement in police matters and press freedom.

Attorney-General Christian Porter may now be the answer to the ABC and News Corp Australia’s press freedom concerns