Contempt charge looms for man who allegedly breached suppression order

A man in Queensland, Australia, is facing serious legal repercussions for allegedly breaching a court suppression order. The 35-year-old, whose name is suppressed, is accused of publishing details related to a Cairns extortion case, despite a non-publication order being in place.

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I suspect the most appropriate action will be to file an application for contempt of court.

Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Maynard Marcum indicated that a contempt of court charge is being considered, a move that carries significant potential consequences. The man had initially pleaded not guilty to disobeying the order, arguing it was not active when he first posted the information on social media. However, the court heard he continued to publish material even after being notified.

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The contempt charge might not be going ahead. But a contempt of court charge is not something to turn your nose up at; it doesn't go away and it can have serious outcomes.

Magistrate James Morton advised the self-represented man to seek legal counsel, emphasizing the gravity of a contempt of court charge. The prosecutor explained that publishing the threatened detriment in an extortion case could inadvertently fulfill the accused's threats. The man requested a copy of the suppression order, stating he had made efforts to comply but had not received it.

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It's a typical and often-used protection, with respect to particularly extortion and blackmail cases, that the threatened detriment not be published because, otherwise, all that's achieved is that the accused's threats are achieved.