By Blessing Nweke
A Sydney court has rejected an attempt by alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram to suppress the identities of his family, ruling that the case’s intense public interest outweighed privacy concerns.
Akram, 24, faces 59 charges over a December attack at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead. His lawyers argued that publishing the names and addresses of his mother, brother and sister could expose them to vigilante attacks, saying the family had already endured abuse and threats.
Last month, a temporary suppression order shielded those details. However, on Thursday, the court lifted the order after opposition from several media organisations.
Presiding judge Hugh Donnelly said the case had drawn “unprecedented” attention both in Australia and internationally, noting that much of the information was already circulating online.
“This case has unprecedented public interest, outrage, anger and grief,” Donnelly told the court. He ruled that a proposed 40-year suppression order did not meet the legal threshold for exceptional circumstances and would be ineffective, as it would not apply to social media platforms or overseas outlets.
The judge also pointed out that Akram’s driver’s licence had already been shared online and questioned how any order could realistically be enforced. He added that suppressing the identity of Akram’s mother—who had spoken to a local outlet—would have little practical impact.
While acknowledging the risks faced by the family, the court said Akram’s siblings were unlikely to play any role in proceedings and had limited relevance to the case.
Akram appeared via video link from a high-security prison. His trial is ongoing.
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