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FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS ACT 1975 - SECT 13

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS ACT 1975 - SECT 13

13—Confidentiality of proceedings

        (1)         "Protected information" is information relating to an application under this Act (including images) that identifies, or may lead to the identification of—

            (a)         an applicant; or

            (b)         a person who is related to, or associated with, an applicant or is, or is alleged to be, in any other way connected in the matter to which the application relates; or

            (c)         a witness in the hearing of the application.

        (2)         A person who publishes protected information is guilty of an offence.

Maximum penalty: $5 000 or imprisonment for 1 year.

        (3)         A person who discloses protected information knowing that, in consequence of the disclosure, the information will, or is likely to, be published is guilty of an offence.

Maximum penalty: $5 000 or imprisonment for 1 year.

        (4)         This section does not apply to—

            (a)         the publication or disclosure of material—

                  (i)         by a court or an employee of the Courts Administration Authority (so long as such publication or disclosure is made in connection with the administrative functions of the court); or

                  (ii)         for purposes associated with the administration of this Act or another Act relevant to the application; or

            (b)         the publication in printed or electronic form of material that—

                  (i)         consists solely or primarily of the reported judgments or decisions of a court; or

                  (ii)         is of a technical nature designed primarily for use by legal practitioners.

        (5)         In this section—

"newspaper" means a newspaper, journal, magazine or other publication that is published at periodic intervals;

"publish" means publish by newspaper, radio or television, or on the internet, or by some other similar means of communication to the public.