CANBERRA – High-profile Australian journalists and large media organizations went on trial on Monday on charges that they breached a gag order on reporting about Cardinal George Pell’s sex abuse convictions in 2018 that have since been overturned.A total of 18 individual journalists, editors and broadcasters face potential prison sentences and 12 organizations face fines if they are found guilty in the Victoria state Supreme Court of breaching a judge’s suppression order on Pell’s case.
They have all pleaded not guilty.Justice John Dixon is hearing the trial without a jury and via video links due to pandemic restrictions.