Police injunction forces Herald Sun to stop the press
Melbourne masthead The Herald Sun was forced to stop the presses last night as Victoria Police obtained an injunction preventing the newspaper from publishing any details about an unnamed lawyer.
The News Corp title reported police had taken the “extraordinary” action of seeking a Supreme Court injunction at 7.30pm last night, preventing it from reporting any information about “Lawyer X”.
Although the newspaper argues it had no intention of naming or identifying the lawyer, the court ordered the newspaper to stop its presses.
Victoria Police had sought the court order to prohibit the publishing of any information that would tend to identify the lawyer.
Damon Johnston, editor of the Herald Sun, said in the newspaper: “The police last night moved to prevent us from publishing important details that go to the heart of the public interest. We believe Victorians deserve to know the details of what we had intended to publish in today’s newspaper.”
The newspaper reports the issue could influence Victorian politics and the injunction was granted despite growing calls for a royal commission to restore confidence in the justice system.
Victorian Labor leader Daniel Andrews told the Herald Sun and Melbourne radio station 3AW the silencing of the newspaper was a concern.
“We cherish a free media in this state. And it’s always a concern when the media is unable to publish a story they believe to be in the public interest,” he said.
Johnston said the Herald Sun would explore all legal avenues in a bit to publish the details in the newspaper.
Victoria Police then released the following statement: “Victoria Police would never confirm whether anyone is or has ever been a police informant as the risks are too high. While we might like to make comment we’re restricted by a whole range of issues around the management of human sources and our methodology.
“What the recent media coverage has done – regardless of whether lawyer X was a police informant or not – is put this person at extreme risk and it’s for that reason, along with the broader integrity of the human source management process and those involved, that we will not be commenting on any individual matters.
“Victoria Police regularly reviews its human source management practices. Such reviewing is not done in public view for obvious reasons, including source safety and witness safety. Victoria Police keeps its oversight bodies aware of such reviews and reforms in this area to ensure independence of review.”
Megan Reynolds
