Ahead of the start of former broadcaster Alan Jones’ trial on Monday, his lawyers argue that the evidence given by complainants should not be reported. Multiple outlets report that the court hears submissions in a preliminary development described as “surprise” before the case proceeds to trial.
According to the coverage, Jones’ legal team seeks orders to prevent media publication of details associated with complainants’ testimony. The argument centers on restricting reporting of what witnesses say, rather than addressing the underlying allegations at this stage. The reporting does not indicate what specific evidence is covered, nor does it provide details of the court’s reasoning beyond the request to keep it secret.
The articles agree that the application is being made immediately before the trial begins and that it is aimed at limiting public disclosure of complainants’ evidence. The outlets do not report the outcome of the application in these accounts, focusing instead on the fact that the issue arises as a threshold matter before the substantive trial process.
