The alleged Bondi gunman has lost his court bid to suppress the names and addresses of his mother, brother, and sister due to fears over their safety.
Lawyers for Naveed Akram - who is facing 59 charges over December's attack on a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach that killed 15 people - argued that his family could be targeted by vigilantes and had already experienced abuse.
Last month, details of Akram's family were suppressed under an interim order, but on Thursday, a Sydney court lifted it after several media outlets opposed the move.
The case had attracted unprecedented attention in Australia and globally, the judge ruled, and information about the family was already widely available online.
This case has unprecedented public interest, outrage, anger, and grief, Judge Hugh Donnelly told the court.
He said the request for a suppression order lasting 40 years did not meet the exceptional circumstances threshold and would have limited impact as it would only apply in Australia and not social media platforms or international media outlets.
The judge expressed that it was unfortunate that Akram's driver's license had already surfaced online, pointing out that his lawyers had not adequately explained how an order could be enforced.
During proceedings, it was revealed that Akram's family home had become a target for harassment, with people hurling abuse and threats at them. Family members reported receiving threatening messages and expressed fears for their safety, with his mother stating, We live in constant fear someone will harm us or set our house on fire. I fear for my life and the lives of my children.
