澳大利亚精神科医生和法律专家对法院基于心理健康风险而对被告签发保密令的做法提出质疑，认为这种保护措施缺乏科学支撑，同时损害司法透明度和受害者权益。[1]
墨尔本大学教授 Steve Ellen 指出，"预测自杀是极其困难的，这不接近确定科学"。[1]法律学者 Jason Bosland 也表示，"很难在法庭上有效挑战心理学家或精神科医生的证词"。[1]根据2023年的数据，维多利亚州共有521份法庭保密令获批。[1]
在实际案例中，这类保密令的适用范围引发关注。强奸案被告人 Tom Silvagni 的身份被保密18个月，直至2025年末被判有罪后才解除禁令。[1]另一名强奸案被告 Ralph Carr 在案件中身份被保密超过3年，于7月28日被判有罪。[1]此外，一名涉嫌在哈罗德·霍尔特游泳中心偷拍女性和儿童洗澡的墨尔本医生的身份也被保密3个月。[1]
性暴力研究倡导组织主任 Dr Rachael Burgin 批评这一制度构成"系统性虐待"，指出在保护被告身份的同时可传唤受害者心理咨询记录的矛盾做法。[1]
Australian psychiatrists are questioning the reliability of court-ordered anonymity granted to defendants on grounds of mental health risk, arguing that predicting media's psychological impact on accused individuals cannot be treated as settled science.[1] According to a Melbourne University professor, Steve Ellen, "predicting suicide is extremely difficult and is nowhere near a certainty science."[1]
The practice has drawn criticism from legal scholars and victim advocates who contend it undermines judicial transparency and victim rights while eroding public confidence in the legal system.[1] In 2023, Victoria's courts approved 521 suppression orders, with some cases involving serious crimes shielded for extended periods.[1] A celebrity agent accused of rape had his identity protected for over three years before being found guilty on July 28, and Tom Silvagni, accused in a separate rape case, remained anonymous for 18 months until conviction was delivered at the end of 2025.[1] In another instance, a Melbourne doctor facing allegations of filming women and children bathing at Harold Holt swimming pool had his identity concealed for three months.[1]
Legal scholar Jason Bosland noted that "it is difficult to effectively challenge the evidence of a psychologist or psychiatrist in court,"[1] highlighting the asymmetry in how such expert testimony is treated during proceedings. Dr Rachael Burgin, director of an advocacy organization focusing on sexual violence research, characterized the arrangement as "systemic abuse," pointing out that while defendants' identities receive protection, victims' psychological counseling records can still be subpoenaed.[1]