A law allowing sex offenders to keep their identities secret because they’re “embarrassed” by their evil crimes has been abolished by the NSW government.
Defendants in sexual offences will now have to prove exceptional circumstances to have their identity suppressed under the new laws.
Attorney-General Mark Speakman, the MP for Cronulla, said the laws passed on Thursday meant "the embarrassment or distress of a defendant in sexual offence prosecutions will no longer be sufficient to enable the suppression of the defendant's identity".
The laws also enact provisions intended to protect complainants from disclosing the identity of their lawyer and clarify the definition of private parts to include undeveloped breasts.
“These laws will better protect complainants during sexual offence proceedings and uphold the important principle of open justice," Mr Speakman said.
“This principle underpins our legal system and there's a strong public interest in requiring a defendant in a sexual offence prosecution to be identified unless there are compelling reasons why this shouldn't happen.
“The laws that passed Parliament [yesterday] make common sense changes to better enable our courts to deliver justice in these distressing cases.”
Power to grant orders to protect the complainant's identity or preserve the safety of someone will be retained.
Safety was a factor in the case of Brett David Hill, who had a non-publication order granted in Newcastle Bail Court on Sunday, after he was arrested on Saturday and charged with a string of offences.
The non-publication order over Mr Hill's identity was revoked in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday.
NSW shadow attorney general Paul Lynch said the reform was "overdue" and Labor was happy to support it.
He said the government had been forced to make the change after a case in Dubbo late last year sparked debate when a convicted sex offender was granted a suppression order to stop his identity being publicly released.
"Courts should always be open, which means parties are identified, unless there are exceptional circumstances," Mr Lynch said.