Court orders journo to refile her 'unreadable' Pell notes, by Monday
An ABC journalist who wrote a book on George Pell has been ordered by a magistrate to re-submit more than a hundred pages of shorthand notes containing details of sexual offences allegedly committed by the cardinal to his lawyers.
The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that a significant portion of investigative journalist Louise Milligan’s notes relating to her book, Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell, were ‘‘unreadable’’, with the cardinal’s lawyers requesting a court order that she read out and record her notes before she gives evidence on Monday.
Louise Milligan, author of 'Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell'.
Photo: Simon SchluterCardinal Pell, 76, faces multiple historical sexual offence charges involving multiple complainants. He is facing a hearing to determine whether he stands trial. Details of the charges are yet to be revealed. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Cardinal Pell’s barrister Robert Richter, QC, requested Ms Milligan read her notes into a dictaphone while one of his team transcribed them for her.
‘‘They’re in shorthand, they cover a lot of territory, but they are in her own style of shorthand … they’re unreadable,’’ he said.
Mr Richter said Ms Milligan’s lawyers told his team ‘‘she was too busy and didn’t have the time’’ to re-submit the notes by Monday, but he argued it would be ‘‘highly undesirable and time consuming’’ for her to read the notes out as she is cross-examined.
Cardinal: The Rise and Fall of George Pell.
‘‘She should be told that the time will be taken because it has to be taken in fairness to the accused,’’ Mr Richter said.
Ms Milligan handed over research notes for the book and background material used to prepare TV reports for the national broadcaster to Cardinal Pell’s lawyers in January as they prepared his defence to historical sexual assault charges.
The names of confidential sources were redacted to protect their identity.
Ms Milligan is expected to be grilled on the contents of the notes by Cardinal Pell’s lawyers next week.
Her book was pulled from the shelves of Victorian booksellers before the hearing began.
The request was supported by prosecutors and Magistrate Belinda Wallington.
The hearing continues.