Law Report Are suppression orders out of control in Victoria?
Mar 17, 2026
Associate Professor Jason Bosland, a law academic focused on suppression orders and open justice, and Michael Bachelard, an investigative journalist and Gold Walkley winner, discuss whether Victoria’s courts are issuing too many suppression orders. They examine flawed comparative statistics, the Silvani mental-health suppression controversy, proposed legal tweaks, and the idea of an open-justice advocate.
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Victoria Notification Practice Skews Suppression Counts
- Victoria's courts routinely notify media of suppression orders, creating an apparent higher count compared with jurisdictions that don't notify routinely.
- Jason Bosland explains the News Corp master tally reflects media notifications, not true cross-jurisdiction totals, so raw comparisons mislead.
Cultural And Access Barriers Hurt Victorian Reporting
- Victorian journalists report greater cultural resistance and difficulty accessing documents and hearings compared with other states.
- Michael Bachelard and Jason Bosland note missed media notifications and limited resources exacerbate reporting barriers.
Pseudonym Orders Create Hidden Suppressions
- Pseudonym orders operate outside the Open Courts Act and are not notified to media, acting as de facto suppression orders.
- Jason Bosland warns these hidden orders mean even notified tallies undercount real restrictions on reporting.