DCNS Obtains Restraint Order Against News Media

The French shipbuilder DCNS has obtained a temporary court order that forces “The Australian” to stop reporting details of a massive leak of secret documents.

The 22,400 pages of documents outline the secret combat capabilities of six submarines that DCNS designed and built for the Indian navy.

Orders handed down Monday by the New South Wales Supreme Court has restrained this newspaper using or disclosing the content of any of the documents, The Australian reported Tuesday.

Apart from that, the passed orders also state that The Australian should remove documents from its website, from which the newspaper had already redacted security-sensitive material, and to give DCNS all of the company material in its possession.

An affidavit prepared for the shipbuilder mentions that the disclosure of the material has caused a prejudice to DCNS as its competitors now have access to some of the company’s material.

The massive media coverage of the leak had risked the company’s international image and reputation, the affidavit stated. “The sensitive and protected nature of the documents also covers the nature, structure and the mere existence of the documents themselves,” the affidivit added.  

Recently DCNS has won the bid to build Australia’s next fleet submarines.