George Pell: Media companies cop more than $1m fine for breaching Pell suppression order

Australian companies have been ordered to pay a whopping penalty for breaching a gag order following the conviction of Cardinal George Pell.

Australian media companies who published details of George Pell’s conviction on child sex abuse charges despite a gag order have been fined more than $1.1 million

The order was handed down in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday after multiple companies entered guilty pleas to 21 charges of contempt of court in February.

“I have found that the media respondents frustrated the suppression order as they diminished its purpose or efficacy by reporting information contrary to the terms of the order,” Justice John Dixon said.

He fined the dozen companies a total of $1,108,000 for contempt of court by breaching a proceeding suppression order.

Cardinal George Pell was acquitted of all the charges in the country’s highest court. Picture: Victor Sokolowicz

The media “usurped” the function of the court in doing so, the judge said.

“They took it upon themselves to determine where the balance ought to lie between Pell’s right to a fair second trial on separate charges by an impartial jury,” Justice Dixon told the court.

The country’s highest ranking Catholic was facing a second trial and a suppression order was put in place to ensure he received a fair second trial. This trial was later aborted.

The Age Company Pty Ltd and News Life Media Pty Ltd were hit with the biggest fines for their breaches.

For three pieces, including an online editorial that ran on The Age website, the company was fined $450,000. The online editorial alone cost the company $200,000.

For a single online article that ran on news.com.au News Life Media was ordered to pay $400,000.

“I am satisfied that the media respondents each took a calculated risk by intentionally publishing the reports,” the judge said on Friday.

He rejected the media organisation’s argument that the breaches were due to an honest, mistaken belief that the reporting would not contravene the order.

Australian Cardinal George Pell attends a Pope's consistory to create 13 new cardinals at The Vatican in November 2020. Picture: Fabio Frustaci / AFP

The companies pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors after dozens of charges against individual journalists and editors were dropped.

They faced potentially severe penalties, including jail, if convicted.

Multiple outlets published information about a high-profile Australian’s conviction without naming Cardinal Pell or identifying the charges he was found guilty of.

But he was acquitted of all the charges in the High Court and immediately freed from prison in April last year.

The material was published or broadcast in the Herald Sun, Weekly Times, news.com.au, The Courier Mail, Geelong Advertiser, The Daily Telegraph, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review, Mamamia, Business Insider, Radio 2GB Sydney and the Today show.

Originally, media companies, editors and journalists were facing a combined 100 charges but they were whittled down over time.

The companies were granted a 28-day stay to pay the fines and must also pay $650,000 in costs.

FINE BREAKDOWN

• Herald and Weekly Times Pty Ltd: $2000
• News Life Media Pty Ltd – Total: $400,000
• Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd; $1000
• The Geelong Advertiser Pty Ltd: $1000
• Nationwide News Pty Ltd: $21,000
• Advertiser Newspapers Pty Ltd: $1000
• The Age Company Pty Ltd: $450,000
• Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd: $162,000
• Mamamia.com.au Pty Ltd: $20,000
• Allure Media Pty Ltd: $10,000
• Radio 2GB Sydney Pty Ltd: $10,000
• General Television Corporation Pty Ltd: $30,000

News Corp Australia is the owner of NCA NewsWire.

Originally published as George Pell: Media companies cop more than $1m fine for breaching Pell suppression order