ABC LAWYER JASMINE SIMS ON OPEN JUSTICE, DEFAMATION, AND MENTORING WOMEN IN LAW
BY CAMILIA SAMSON AND ASAD KHAN
Jasmine Sims Defends Open Justice in the Courts
Jasmine Sims, Senior Lawyer at the ABC and a specialist in media law and defamation, has reaffirmed the importance of open justice.
“Open justice is one of the fundamental principles of our system,” she said.
“The media are meant to be the eyes and ears of the public. Once proceedings are closed off, the public loses insight into how justice is delivered.”
She explained that lawyers representing the media often receive very little notice before needing to challenge suppression applications in court.
“We’ll head down… and do our best to remind the magistrate or the judge that the open justice principle should apply first,” she said.
Litigator Turned Gatekeeper: Why Pre-Publication Advice Matters
With years of experience in defamation law, Ms Sims said her background on both sides of litigation makes her a better pre-publication lawyer.
“I’ve seen what happens when we miss something,” she said.
“It’s helped me know where errors could occur and how to reduce the risk for journalists.”
Social Media's Growing Role in Defamation Law
One major shift she’s observed in recent years is the impact of social media.
“The way we speak on social platforms has changed the defamation landscape,” she said, noting that while people rightly expect to protect their reputations, litigation is often prohibitively expensive.
WA Falling Behind in Law Reform
She pointed to defamation law reforms in eastern states, including the introduction of a “serious harm” threshold.
“We’ve seen a slowdown in claims over East,” she said, adding that Western Australia is yet to implement the same reforms.
The Tension Between Journalism and Legal Risk
While she couldn’t discuss specific matters, Sims said one of the hardest parts of her job is being brought into projects at the last minute.
“It’s understandable that journalists are frustrated when changes are made to work they’ve spent months developing.”
“But we’re all trying to tell the best story in the lowest-risk way.”
Backing Women in Law Through Mentorship
Beyond her legal work, she is also a co-founder of The Jollie Club, a mentoring network for senior women in law.
“I had incredible female mentors who gave me confidence in a male-dominated field,” she said.
“That support helped me stay in the industry, and I want to pass it on.”
Founded in 2018 with fellow lawyer Holly Ponton, The Jolly Club has grown into a space for senior women to network, supervise, and mentor others in the legal profession.
Listen to Ngaarda Media’s Camilia Samson speak with Jasmine Sims: