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More contempt charges tossed in Cardinal George Pell’s media case

Georgie MooreAAP
Cardinal George Pell.
Camera IconCardinal George Pell. Credit: Gregorio Borgia/AP

More charges have been tossed out in the case against Australian media outlets prosecuted over reporting of Cardinal George Pell’s abuse convictions.

But a judge says outlets, editors and journalists still have a case to answer for 79 remaining charges of contempt.

Media lawyers had argued there was a “devastating, bazooka-size hole” in the prosecution of journalists and media outlets for stories published following the cardinal’s 2018 convictions.

His five child sexual abuse convictions were overturned by the High Court earlier this year and Cardinal Pell has returned to Rome.

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But more than two dozen media organisations, reporters and editors were charged with contempt over breaches of suppression orders and other reporting rules in the days after the guilty verdict.

In a mid-trial ruling on Friday, Victorian Supreme Court Justice John Dixon dismissed eight contempt charges against the Courier Mail, Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald and their editors, and 2GB and presenter Chris Smith.

Each of those outlets, editors and presenters still face other contempt charges.

Justice Dixon rejected arguments by 27 media outlets, journalists and editors that they had no case to answer for 79 offences.

The decision is not the end of the road for the case, with the trial due to resume next year.

Prosecutors last month dropped 13 charges against NewsCorp staff and publications over stories about Cardinal Pell.

Media lawyer Matt Collins QC previously told the court the prosecution’s case was very narrow.

He said it relied on each of the publications and broadcasts in question having a tendency to encourage readers, listeners or viewers to go online where they would find one of 35 international articles that named Cardinal Pell.

Crown prosecutor Lisa De Ferrari disagreed, pointing to what she said were clear allegations of the articles publishing information prohibited by a suppression order.

The trial is scheduled to resume in January 28.

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