Dozens of Australian journalists summonsed over alleged breaches of George Pell supression order

Dozens of Australian journalists, editors and media organisations have been summonsed to the Supreme Court over alleged breaches of the George Pell suppression order.

Dozens of journalists, editors and media organisations have been summonsed to the Supreme Court over alleged breaches of the George Pell suppression order.

Victoria’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Kerri Judd SC, has called for jail time or hefty fines for 36 separate respondents in documents lodged with the Supreme Court.

Journalists and organisations from across Australia have been targeted.

They include Today show host Deborah Night and Sydney shock jock Ray Hadley.

Nine Entertainment, Mamamia, Fairfax and The Age are among those summonsed.

The Daily Telegraph editor Ben English along with other News Corp publications and journalists are also among the respondents.

The Executive Chairman of News Corp Australasia, Mr Michael Miller, said in a statement: “We will vigorously defend all charges and resolutely stand by our editors and journalists.”

The DPP wants a declaration that respondents either were in breach of a suppression order, in contempt of court, scandalised the court or aided and abetted overseas media’s contempt.

Orders for imprisonment, fines and conviction of each of the respondents has also been sought.

The application will be heard before Justice John Dixon on April 15.

Pell was convicted in December of five charges regarding the sexual assault of two choirboys at St Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996.

Reporting of the trial at the time the verdict was delivered was banned because of a strict suppression order.

The order was made by trial judge Peter Kidd, the chief judge of the County Court, in order to protect an expected second trial Pell was to defend.

But that trial was subsequently dropped by prosecutors.

The news of the verdict spread internationally despite the order.

Earlier this month Pell was jailed for a minimum term of three years and eight months.