Australian gov’t says prosecutors must seek approval before charging journalists

Australian attorney general, Christian Porter says Australian prosecutors need government permission before they can file charges against local journalists.

Australian police in June raided the head office of the government-funded Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC) in Sydney and the home of a news corp editor on suspicion of receiving national secrets.

The raids, which involved police examination of about 9,000 computer files at the station, and sifting through the female news corp editor’s underwear drawer.

Porter said he told prosecutors the attorney general’s approval was needed before any prosecution

Porter said this will allow the most detailed and cautious consideration of how an allegation of a serious offence should be balanced with our commitment to freedom of the press.

Under Australian law, prosecutors can file charges if the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions(CDPP) deems they have a reasonable chance of conviction and the prosecution is in the public interest.