In R v Alvarez [2024] QCA 109, Mr Alvarez was convicted of conspiring to import and traffic a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug. Following a guilty plea, he was sentenced to 22 years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of 14 years and eight months, and a pre-sentence declaration of time served was noted. Alvarez's appeal against the sentence on the grounds of it being manifestly excessive was previously dismissed.
The current application sought to be relieved of obligations related to restricted materials from his court records, asserting that such materials were needed for further federal court matters. Alvarez alleged misconduct in the investigation and grossly unlawful interrogation tactics by several agencies, including the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. The Court allowed the application narrowly, permitting the use of specific documents solely for anticipated federal court proceedings.