In a significant defeat for the federal government and former attorney-general Christian Porter, the Supreme Court of the ACT has overturned secrecy orders demanded by Porter in his prosecution of Bernard Collaery, which would have ensured much of the trial was conducted in complete secrecy and evidence would have been hidden not merely from the public but from Collaery and his lawyers.

Judges Murrell, Burns and Wigney overturned trial Judge David Mossop’s decision to grant Porter’s application to hide evidence against Collaery, and witness evidence produced by Collaery, via national security orders made by Porter under the National Security Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004.