Suppression orders

Suppression orders are orders made in court that suppress certain information being made public. Anyone who breaks a suppression order may be fined or imprisoned.

Suppression orders are routinely given for cases involving children (in very rare occasions children's names may be released if they are convicted of a crime: usually this is kept hidden to all but law enforcement bodies), also with regards to rapists (at least until conviction), and especially with regards to paedophiles or child abusers.

Suppression orders can also exist for any other reason.

The Port Arthur massacre had some of the most severe suppression orders in history, with nobody permitted to publish for profit anything to do with the event, and nobody permitted to speak to the alleged perpetrator, Martin Bryant without court permission, and him not permitted to hear radio, newspaper or TV reports about anything for fear of him finding out about his case.

The Snowtown murders also had severe suppression orders, in that case allegedly because of the horrific nature of the crimes.