AUSTRALIA
Australian Associated Press
December 12th, 2017
By Jacqueline Le
Victims’ advocacy group Broken Rites has been forced to hand over documents to lawyers representing Cardinal George Pell as he fights historical sex abuse charges.
Counsel for Pell, Broken Rites, Victoria Police and broadcaster ABC appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Defence barrister Ruth Shann said Victoria Police and Broken Rites have provided the materials that Pell’s lawyers requested in a subpoena, but the details of the documents were not disclosed.
Pell’s defence team has also sent subpoenas to ABC investigative journalist Louise Milligan and Melbourne University Press, who published her book Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell.
On November 23, magistrate Belinda Wallington said some of the material sought could be subject to journalistic privilege.
Ms Shann indicated on Tuesday journalistic privilege could be avoided if the defence had more time to hold discussions with the ABC and Ms Milligan.
“We think we are very close to reaching a consent position in relation to the two summons,” she said.
Pending those discussions, counsel for the ABC, Haroon Hassan, said it was too early to say if the ABC would need to invoke journalistic privilege.
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