Justin advises media publishers, broadcasters and technology platforms on defamation, online safety, contempt of court, suppression orders, privacy and pre-publication matters, practising exclusively in media law for almost 30 years.

Biography

Justin acts for Australia’s largest media and technology companies, including News Corp Australia, Nine, all three commercial television networks (Seven, Nine and Ten), national radio stations, AFL Media, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and technology companies including X Corp, Google and Reddit. Justin is available 24/7 for urgent advice and is ranked Band 1 by Chambers Asia Pacific for Media for 15 consecutive years — the longest uninterrupted Band 1 ranking for Media in Australia. Thomsons holds three of the five Band 1 individual rankings for Media nationally.

Justin practises exclusively in media and administrative law, covering defamation, contempt of court, suppression orders, online safety and Online Safety Act advice, urgent injunctions, confidential information claims, freedom of information, journalists’ source protection, racial vilification claims and defence of regulatory actions. In recent years he has become one of Australia’s most experienced practitioners in online safety regulation, acting for major platforms in regulatory challenges against the eSafety Commissioner.

Justin has led or been central to Australia’s most significant media law proceedings. He acted in the five-year campaign to overturn suppression orders in the Lawyer X scandal through multiple appellate stages to the High Court. He acted for approximately 100 media entities, editors, news directors and journalists in the Cardinal Pell contempt proceedings. He has acted for X Corp in multiple Federal Court challenges to eSafety Commissioner notices, and advised on The Teacher’s Pet — Australia’s most downloaded podcast — through the subsequent murder trial.

Justin has practised exclusively in media law for almost 30 years, making him the most specialised media lawyer in Australia by tenure. He has served as Chair of the Law Council of Australia’s Media and Communications Committee for almost a decade and serves as Chief Judge of the Melbourne Press Club’s Quills Awards, having been on the Club’s committee for nearly two decades. Thomsons sponsors the Walkley Foundation, Melbourne Press Club and Kennedy Foundation, reflecting the team’s genuine embedding in the media industry. He is a regular newspaper columnist and television commentator on legal issues.

Credentials

Academic qualifications:

Justin's experience

Lawyer X — Suppression order campaign

Acting for Nationwide News (Herald Sun) in a five-year campaign to overturn extensive suppression orders relating to the Lawyer X scandal, progressing through multiple appellate stages to the High Court and establishing significant precedents reinforcing open justice and the media’s role in reporting matters of public interest.

X Corp v eSafety Commissioner

Acting for X Corp in multiple judicial review and pecuniary penalty proceedings in the Federal Court and Administrative Review Tribunal, challenging eSafety Commissioner notices under Australia’s Online Safety framework, including global content takedown applications relating to violent incident footage and broader regulatory compliance advice

Cardinal George Pell contempt proceedings

Acting for approximately 100 media entities, editors, news directors and journalists in contempt of court proceedings arising from reporting on Cardinal George Pell’s conviction, involving significant issues of sub judice contempt and media reporting restrictions.

The Teacher’s Pet podcast

Advising on the production of Australia’s most downloaded podcast, The Teacher’s Pet, providing extensive pre-publication advice throughout production and managing legal issues arising during subsequent criminal proceedings in which the accused was convicted of murder (2018–2022).

Social Media regulatory reform — Online safety

Advising major global technology platforms on compliance with Australia’s evolving online safety regime, including minimum age proposals for social media access and regulatory investigations by the eSafety Commissioner.

Awards, recognition and ranking