Court Suppression and Non-publication Orders Act 2010 (NSW), s 7
consideration of the principle of open justice
Quick Take
1Section 578A of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), while not directly applicable to civil proceedings, reflects a public policy relevant to the administration of justice that complainants of sexual offences should not fear coming forward lest their identity be revealed, and this policy supports non-publication orders under the CSNPO Act in civil claims arising from sexual abuse.
2Non-publication orders and use of pseudonyms generally suffice to protect a plaintiff's identity; an order closing the court is a separate and more intrusive measure that need not be made at the interlocutory stage and is properly left to the trial judge.
