Deliberations held in secret

THEY have been dubbed the trials of the century but the George Pell hearings were two of the most secret in history.

Fewer than 50 people were there to watch as the jury foreman calmly delivered five unanimous guilty verdicts on December 11 last year.

Cardinal Pell twice last year sat through trials while most of the world was unaware of what was unfolding.

Every day for almost three months he arrived at the court, on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, more than an hour before his 10.30am scheduled start time, and slowly made his way to a tiny interview room.

The early start gave him a chance to avoid media and curious onlookers, make his way through the security checkpoint uninterrupted and up to the room that became a second home for him.

There he bunkered down, leaving only to attend the courtroom just metres away.

He sat reading, or just sitting, as a small team of minders sat with him, keeping him company, bringing him food and drink and helping keep his mind off the case.

One of the challenges was ensuring “procedural fairness” to Pell. That meant ensuring he would receive a fair trial, not influenced by anything outside the courtroom – anything less would be unsatisfactory. The Chief Judge ordered the trial be held in secret.

He stopped short of closing the court and acknowledged he could do little to stifle reports outside Australia, but warned any breach of his order inside his jurisdiction would bring swift action.

International media reported the verdicts soon after they were handed down – but Australian media was banned from doing so to protect an expected second trial over allegations Pell molested boys at a Ballarat pool in the 1970s.

Prosecutors decided not to proceed and the suppression order preventing the case from being reported was lifted.