Qld magistrate refuses open access to youth crime cases despite crime crisis law change

A magistrate slapped a non-publication order on every youth crime case in his courtroom, flying in the face of new laws aimed at lifting the veil of secrecy on juvenile proceedings.

A magistrate slapped a non-publication order on every youth crime case in his courtroom, flying in the face of new laws aimed at lifting the veil of secrecy on juvenile proceedings.

Laws opening up the children’s court came into effect this week after being announced amid community outrage over the youth crime crisis, with Premier Steven Miles at the time declaring “the public has a right to know what is going on in our court system”.

Mr Miles made the commitment during the first week of parliament this year, soon after 70-year-old Vyleen White was killed in Redbank Plains and magistrates closed the court hearings of the majority of the juveniles charged in connection to her death.

Wynnum Magistrate Zac Sarra expressed concerns around reporting on youth crime matters.

Just days after the new laws came into effect, Magistrate Zachary Sarra said he had concerns around reporting on youth crime matters and made the extraordinary decision to make a blanket non-publication ruling on all his cases in the Wynnum Children’s Court on Thursday.

Sunshine Coast magistrate Chris Callaghan also shut the doors to a committal hearing involving a teenager accused of murdering his mother’s partner, saying the reporting of the case could prejudice his trial.

When asked to comment on the cases, Mr Miles’ office pointed to recent comments where the Premier said he hoped the changes would increase scrutiny in the courts.

“I hope it allows journalists to provide better context in their reporting. And I think what’s particularly important was that step we made to make it more open to victims and victims’ families in the cases of homicide,” he said this week.

In verbalising the non-publication order, which The Courier-Mail has requested a written copy of but not been provided, Mr Sarra said he was concerned the media was misdirecting its focus away from issues such as domestic violence and families living on the street.

He also said he believed the recent focus on youth crime was a misrepresentation of society’s youth, as he estimated the courts only dealt with one or two per cent of the juvenile population in the children's court.

Chief Magistrate Janelle Brassington’s office said in a statement: “Magistrates are expected to apply the law.

“It is a matter for each judicial officer to independently consider and exercise their discretion to determine applications in accordance with the new provisions set out in the Children's Court Act 1992 (CC Act) and with regard to the submissions made to the court.”