Fletcher v Brown (No 2) [2021] FCA 725

Federal Court of Australia

Fletcher v Brown (No 2) [2021] FCA 725 File number: WAD 59 of 2021

Judgment of: JACKSON J

Date of judgment: 25 June 2021

Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - application for suppression order - application by non-parties for access to restricted documents on court file - lack of cogent evidence in support of suppression order - finding that suppression order not relevantly 'necessary' in respect of most materials - suppression of selected matters necessary - application for suppression order otherwise dismissed - necessary to redact some information from documents - redactions referred to registrar - application for non-party access granted subject to redactions

Legislation: Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 35A, 37AE, 37AF, 37AG, 37AI, 50 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 77RF Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) rr 2.32, 3.01, Schedule 2, Item 102 Open Courts Act 2013 (Vic) ss 17, 18 Supreme Court Act 1986 (Vic) ss 18, 19

Cases cited: AB (a pseudonym) v CD (a pseudonym) [2019] HCA 6; (2019) 364 ALR 202 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Air New Zealand Ltd (No 12) [2013] FCA 533 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Valve Corporation (No 5) [2016] FCA 741 C7A/2017 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (No 2) [2020] FCAFC 70 Hogan v Australian Crime Commission [2010] HCA 21; (2010) 240 CLR 651 Lew v Priester (No 2) [2012] VSC 153; (2012) 35 VR 216 PQR v Secretary, Department of Justice and Regulation [2017] VSC 513; (2017) 53 VR 45 Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited [2019] FCA 36 Re Robins; Ex parte West Australian Newspapers Ltd [1999] WASCA 16; (1999) 20 WAR 511 Royal Women's Hospital v Medical Practitioners Board of Australia (No 2) [2007] VSCA 284 Stanford v DePuy International Ltd [2013] FCA 1304