OPEN COURTS ACT 2013

Table of Provisions

PART 1--PRELIMINARY

• 1 Purposes  
• 2 Commencement  
• 3 Definitions  
• 4 Principle of open justice prevails unless circumstances require displacement  
• 5 Abrogation of common law and no implied jurisdiction  
• 6 Jurisdiction and powers of courts and tribunals to deal with contempt  
• 7 Admission of evidence and disclosure of information to a court or tribunal or party to a proceeding  
• 8 Other laws restricting or prohibiting publication not affected  
• 8A Handing down and delivering judgments by electronic communication does not contravene rules of law relating to open justice  
• 8B Certain measures in relation to proceeding or hearing do not contravene rules of law relating to open justice  
• 8C Court may restrict or prohibit publication of transcript provided under section 8B  

PART 2--GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR SUPPRESSION ORDERS

• 9 Application of Part  
• 10 Notice of applications for suppression orders  
• 11 Notifications to relevant news media organisations  
• 12 Duration of orders  
• 13 Scope of information covered by order  
• 14 Order must be made on basis of evidence or sufficient credible information  
• 14A Statement of reasons for making a suppression order  
• 15 Review of orders  
• 16 Duty to publish reasons, judgments or decisions  

PART 3--PROCEEDING SUPPRESSION ORDERS

• 17 Court or tribunal may make proceeding suppression order  
• 18 Grounds for proceeding suppression order  
• 19 Procedure for making a proceeding suppression order  
• 20 Interim orders  
• 21 Where a proceeding suppression order applies  
• 22 Exceptions for conduct of proceeding, enforcement or informing persons of existence of proceeding suppression orders or interim orders  
• 23 Offence to contravene proceeding suppression order or interim order  

PART 4--BROAD SUPPRESSION ORDERS

• 24 Application of this Part  
• 25 County Court may grant injunction restraining publication in relation to criminal proceeding  
• 26 Magistrates' Court may make order prohibiting publication of specified material  
• 27 Offence to contravene order under section 26(1)  

PART 5--CLOSED COURT ORDERS

• 28 Principle of open justice and hearings in open court  
• 29 Jurisdiction and powers of courts and tribunals to regulate proceedings  
• 30 Power to close proceeding to the public  
• 31 Requirement to post notice of closed court order on door of court or tribunal  
• 32 Offence to contravene closed court order  

PART 6--GENERAL

• 33 Regulations  

PART 7--TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

• 34 Transitional  
• 35 Power to resolve transitional difficulties in proceeding  
ENDNOTES