Ridley and Ridley

In the matter of *Ridley and Ridley*, Austin J of the Family Court of Australia considered an application by the Commissioner of NSW Police concerning the suppression and inspection of documents, including one identified as document C…, within proceedings under Part XIA of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth). The dispute centred on the extent to which these documents, produced by subpoena, should be accessible to the parties and their legal representatives, and whether suppression orders were warranted.

The court was required to determine the appropriate level of suppression for document C… and other documents produced by the NSW Police, and to rule on the conditions under which the parties, the Independent Children’s Lawyer, and their legal representatives could inspect these subpoenaed documents. The court also had to consider an application filed by the Commissioner of NSW Police, which was ultimately dismissed.

Austin J ordered that the contents of document C… be suppressed outside of the proceedings for a period of 10 years, pursuant to Part XIA of the *Family Law Act 1975* (Cth). Leave was granted for the parties, the Independent Children’s Lawyer, and their legal representatives to inspect all documents produced by the Commissioner of NSW Police, with the exception of document C…, which was only to be inspected in its redacted form. Furthermore, no copies of the redacted document C… were permitted to be taken or sent outside the Family Court Registry premises. The application filed by the Commissioner of NSW Police was dismissed with no order as to costs. By consent, the parties and the Independent Children’s Lawyer were also granted access to any exhibit tendered in evidence at a prior interim hearing.