Judge imposes reporting restrictions as cross‑examination continues at Downing Centre

Alan Jones’s criminal trial continued at Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, August 6, with one of the former broadcaster’s six complainants facing a second day of cross-examination under reporting restrictions. Judge Glenn Walsh kept in place an interim non-publication order that prevents publication of the defence’s line of questioning during the cross-examination of the man known as complainant J. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of assault with act of indecency and two counts of sexual touching involving six male complainants between 2003 and 2020. The case is being heard by Walsh alone, without a jury. ### Why did coverage from court slow or stop on Thursday? Judge Glenn Walsh imposed the interim order after a prosecution objection to defence questioning that raised the prospect of “inadmissible evidence,” according to ABC News. The restriction remained in place through Thursday’s hearing, meaning media outlets could report that cross-examination was continuing but not the substance of the defence case on that issue. (abc.net.au) ABC reported the order applies to evidence arising from the defence’s questioning of complainant J and is expected to remain until the cross-examination concludes. Walsh is then expected to decide whether the restriction should continue or be lifted. ### Who is the witness at the center of this stage of the trial? Complainant J was the first witness called in the trial and has previously alleged Jones indecently assaulted him multiple times, including when he was 17, ABC reported. (abc.net.au) The court has heard allegations that Jones kissed him on the lips and touched his genitals on several occasions at Jones’s Circular Quay apartment and at a property in Fitzroy Falls. Jones denies the allegations. ABC said complainant J told the court earlier this week that Jones gave him a mobile phone, a new car and weekly payments of between A$400 and A$600 from 2004 to 2012 to help with training and competition. That evidence put the total support at more than A$110,000 over about a decade. ### What has the defence been trying to test? Gabrielle Bashir SC, appearing for Jones, has been conducting the cross-examination of complainant J. (abc.net.au) Before the reporting restriction took effect, ABC reported Bashir accused the complainant of reading news articles about allegations against Jones before he went to police shortly after Jones was arrested in November 2024. ABC has not published the later line of questioning because of Walsh’s order, and the court has not yet ruled publicly on whether that material is admissible. In a judge-only trial, Walsh has previously said he can hear argument that may later be excluded, but publication can still be restricted while that issue is being decided. That is an inference from the court’s handling of the order and ABC’s description of the prosecution objection. (abc.net.au) ### Why is this trial being heard without a jury? More than 70 witnesses are expected to give evidence in the case, which began this week in Sydney, ABC reported before the trial opened. Walsh said during pre-trial hearings that he would act as both “the judge of law and the judge of fact,” reflecting the judge-only format. A July 22 ruling by Walsh also helps explain the court’s approach to publicity. (abc.net.au) In lifting an earlier non-publication order over pre-trial material, he said the risk from media coverage was lower because “there is no jury panel to be prejudiced.” At the same time, the court has still used narrower interim restrictions when disputes arise over potentially inadmissible evidence. (abc.net.au) ### What charges is Jones facing? Alan Jones is facing 22 charges in total — 20 counts of assault with act of indecency and two counts of sexual touching — concerning six male complainants over the period from 2003 to 2020, according to ABC. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial follows Jones’s arrest in November 2024 after allegations published in late 2023 were followed by a New South Wales police investigation, ABC reported. (abc.net.au) The proceedings at Downing Centre Local Court are expected to run for months. Judge Glenn Walsh is expected to rule on the interim non-publication order once complainant J’s cross-examination ends, with the next publicly reportable step likely to come from that decision in the Downing Centre court. (abc.net.au) (abc.net.au)