In the case Rowley & Ors v Dell’Osa & Anor [2024] QDC 30, the District Court of Queensland addressed an application concerning suppression and anonymisation orders. Angela Rita Dell’Osa, the applicant, sought to suppress or alternatively anonymise published reasons from a freezing order made during civil proceedings in 2016, citing personal harm due to the public belief of her criminality despite her acquittal in associated criminal proceedings. The Court, under Byrne KC DCJ, refused the application, emphasizing the importance of open court proceedings and the absence of compelling justification for suppression or anonymisation. The court underscored that the applicant's concerns did not outweigh the public's interest in open justice, nor did they meet the requirements for such exceptional orders, highlighting that any perceived damage was speculative and not directly attributable to the publication of the court's reasons. Consequently, the application was denied with no order as to costs.
From the TLDR Caselaw Archive