R v Simmons (No 5) (Non-Publication Orders) [2015] NSWSC 333

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Simmons (No 5) (Non-Publication Orders) [2015] NSWSC 333 Hearing dates: 20,24, 28 March 2015 Date of orders: 02 April 2015 Decision date: 02 April 2015 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Criminal Before: Hamill J Decision: See orders. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – suppression orders – closure of court – protecting identity of undercover police officers – confidential evidence – assumed identities – orders made CRIMINAL LAW – non-publication orders – investigative technique – whether orders necessary to [REDACTED] – preventing prejudice to proper administration of administration of justice – protection of safety of undercover police officers – investigative technique widely publicised – Wikipedia – where previous publications less detailed – open justice – transparency – distinction between publication on mass media and legal web-sites – changes in technology – unlikelihood that judgments would "go viral" – JIRS restricted judgments – orders necessary – exceptions to allow publication on legal web-sites – redaction of judgments – whether ratio comprehensible if redactions made – non-publication orders made subject to exceptions pursuant to s 9(4) Court Suppression and Non-Publication Orders Act Legislation Cited: Court Suppression and Non-Publication Orders Act 2010 (NSW) Law Enforcement & National Security (Assumed Identities) Act 2010 (NSW) Cases Cited: Commissioner of Police v Nationwide News [2007] NSWCA 366; 70 NSWLR 643 D1 v P1 (No 2) [2012] NSWCA 440 Donai v R [2011] NSWCCA 9 Fairfax Digital v Ibrahim [2012] NSWCCA 125 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v Waller (1985) 1 NSWLR 1 R v Abrahams [2013] NSWSC 952 R v Cowan [2013] QSC 337 R v Simmons; R v Moore (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 143 R v Simmons; R v Moore (No 3) [2015] NSWSC 189 R v Simmons; R v Moore (No 4) [2015] NSWSC 259 R v Simmons; R v Moore [2015] NSWSC 73 Tofilau v The Queen [2007] HCA 39; 231 CLR 396 Texts Cited: L Struesser, "Mr Big comes to Australia", Bond University Publications, [2008] The National Legal Eagle 14(1) JJ Spigelman, "Seen to be Done: The Principle of Open Justice – Part 1", 74 ALJ 290 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Category: Principal judgment Parties: Tony James Simmons (Accused) NSW Commissioner of Police (Applicant) Representation: Counsel: R Bhalla (NSW Commissioner of Police) P Barrett (Crown) P Young SC (Accused)