The 8 Lawyers for Israel, after escaping the Lion’s den, have gone back for their hats

The Lawyers for Israel contempt application against Nine Entertainment’s The Age, Fairfax Media Publications, 2 journalists, 2 editors and 2 lawyers is back in court on Monday (14/7/25) at 9.15am.

In this article I will discuss the tactics the Lawyers for Israel are using and how it is about dodging financial and legal liability and how they are trying to transfer that liability to the Australian taxpayer.

Background 

There are 8 or 9 lawyers from the Lawyers for Israel WhatsApp group who were granted suppression orders, at the start of the Antoinette Lattouf v ABC unlawful termination case, to suppress their names etc which show up in emails and other communications they sent to the ABC campaigning to have Antoinette Lattouf sacked.  

They claimed they would be in danger if their names and details were made public because of their campaign to have Antoinette Lattouf sacked. But their names had been all over the media and social media for the previous 12 months so the horse had already bolted.

I think their request for suppression orders is more about the fact they don’t want the public to know how deceptive and dishonest they are as it would hurt their careers as lawyers and business interests etc.

Below is a copy of the suppression orders issued on 3rd of February 2025:

The 8 lawyers from the Lawyers for Israel WhatsApp group claim that Larina Alick, Sam White, Calum Jaspan, Michael Bachelard, Bevan Shields, Patrick Elligett, The Age and Fairfax Media Publications breached the suppression orders and want the judge to issue orders directing the Registrar of the Federal Court of Australia to institute contempt proceedings against them. 

The 8 lawyers from the Lawyers for Israel WhatsApp group could have filed an application to institute contempt proceedings themselves but they haven’t, and the reasons why are obvious.

1. If the 8 lawyers from the Lawyers for Israel WhatsApp group can get the judge to issue orders directing the Registrar to institute contempt proceedings against Nine Entertainment and the staff, then the 8 lawyers will not be liable for the costs of the hearing which would be longer than the hearing for their application. The court would pay the costs which is the taxpayer.
2. If the contempt case failed, the 8 Israel supporting lawyers would not have to pay Nine’s costs. The court would have to pay Nine’s costs which again is the taxpayer.
3. The same with any appeal.

Also, if the 8 Israel supporting lawyers were to institute the contempt proceeding themselves then they would be legally liable and possibly be forced to give evidence under oath which I doubt they would like to do.

I published the below video on the 8/7/25 titled “Lawyers for Israel versus Nine back in court” which has further information:

(Click here to watch the above video on the Kangaroo Court of Australia YouTube channel)

Nine Entertainment’s barrister submitted on the 25/6/25 that the judge should not direct the court’s Registrar to institute contempt proceedings and the 8 Israel supporting lawyers should institute and pay for contempt proceedings themselves if they want to.

The contempt application by the 8 Israel supporting lawyers is frivolous and vexatious at best and that is why they would never institute the contempt proceedings themselves as they know they would lose and be liable for the costs.

Nine told the court that they had taken down the articles and/or deleted the names that were in the articles so one wonders why the 8 Israel supporting lawyers are continuing with the contempt claim. Maybe they think if they can get the court to institute contempt proceedings in this matter, they can use it to intimidate others.

Justice Michael Lee said in the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case that, “Having escaped the lions’ den, Mr Lehrmann made the mistake of going back for his hat,”.

The 8 Israel supporting lawyers got lucky getting a 10-year suppression order they don’t deserve but have gone back for their hats with the frivolous and vexatious contempt application which again shines a light on how dishonest and deceptive they are.

The 8 Israel supporting lawyers’ contempt application was part-heard on the 25th of June and is set down on Monday, (14/7/25) at 9.15am, to hear another couple of hours of argument. I understand the judge will be staying in Brisbane and it will be heard via video link and I expect it will be live streamed on the courts YouTube channel.