Graham Philip

Media has strictly adhered to suppression orders. But many have not - they have exchanged information about the case in darkened alleyways of the internet.

This is not meant to be a criticism of the court. But it pays to be honest about the consequences. How those two facts connect remains a secret; a hole in the narrative structure, begging to be filled in. Without concrete information, this community is free to haphazardly speculate, getting basic facts wrong and indulging their instinct that a conspiracy is taking place. Unsurprisingly, the speculation tends to align with their existing views – an innocent man, held unjustly; a saboteur, rightfully imprisoned. One day they see a picture of a friendly-looking man named Graham. He believes many of the same things they do. Those of us who knew what was happening could not correct the misinformation, because doing so would be illegal. Details of the offending – which Stuff knows – have been suppressed, and to say more about his background would risk contempt of court. One person even did it on camera, in front of a room full of people. Many of those breaking the suppression orders did so under their own names. The suppression order is understandable, but it’s also frustrating. It’s clearly in the public interest.