Apparent double standard on suppression orders

Back in December 2017, I posted an article on this site explaining and congratulating the work of an insurance investigator and the police for catching two arsonists who put the lives of people living above there target business at risk.

As the names of the two convicted criminals were reported in a newspaper I too named them.

A few months later, on the Thursday before Easter, I received a phone call from the Victorian Sheriff’s office stating that I was in contempt of court as there was a suppression order on naming the two men convicted by the courts.

I apologized and agreed to take down the names and I received no penalty or heard further from anyone.

At the time I asked how and why this would be allowed when the two men had been convicted of such a serious crime.

While the Sheriff’s Office was only able to state that it was the order of the court, I learned from other sources that there are thousands of criminals who have successfully had their name suppressed by the courts.

I cannot see how this is in the best interests of the public. It only protects the guilty.

So with so many orders in place why is the court system allowing the name of Lawyer X to be revealed? no doubt putting her life at risk. It appears that the whole push is by the newspapers so they can sell a few more papers.

This is yet another example of where I think our government and court systems are letting us down badly.

If Lawyer X is guilty of a crime and breaching client trust is serious, I am all for her and those complicit in matter to be brought to trial but why is there 2 sets of rules. One for someone yet to be tried and secondly for convicted criminals.