With a suppression order lifted, the ABC can name former deputy premier Jackie Trad as the politician who took court action to have a corruption watchdog report withheld from public release.
In the Supreme Court this afternoon, Justice Martin Burns lifted parts of a court order which suppressed the publication of Ms Trad as the applicant in the matter.
Ms Trad launched the legal action in regards to a report from a Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) investigation.
Elected to office in 2012, Ms Trad served in various senior ministerial roles, including as treasurer and deputy premier in the Palaszczuk government, before she lost her seat of South Brisbane in the 2020 state election.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Supreme Court Chief Justice Catherine Holmes said the order could be lifted because it had been "rendered futile".
"Consequently, the maintaining of the order in its existing form has been rendered futile.
"It would be premature to assume that the original disclosure of the existence of the proceeding and the name of the applicant was a deliberate breach of the order, but the result has been to defeat its effect in part.
"Of course, if the individual or individuals who disclosed that information did so in wilful breach of the order, questions of contempt of court would be raised."
Last month, opposition MP Jarrod Bleijie used parliamentary privilege to name Ms Trad and her involvement in the CCC investigation, which he said related to the independent recruitment process of former under treasurer Frankie Carroll.
The matter was referred to the CCC by the LNP in May 2020.
It is not known whether the report makes any findings against Ms Trad.
The opposition has previously asked the state government in parliament if Ms Trad had received legal indemnity or had her legal costs covered by the taxpayer in relation to either the CCC matter or court proceedings.
When asked about that matter, a spokesman for the Premier's office said: "Legal indemnity guidelines are publicly available and apply to ministers and former ministers from any political party."
Ms Trad issued a statement to the ABC saying she did not make her decision lightly.
"I can confirm that I have brought an application in the Queensland Supreme Court regarding a matter subject to a Court Order made available on the Court Register today," the statement read.
"This is a course of action I have not taken lightly but one I felt compelled to take.
"I deeply respect the process of the Supreme Court and will not be prejudicing the deliberations of the matter by making comments regarding my application before it has been heard and decided in full by the Court."
