Perth court lifts suppression order on identity of man accused of attempted Invasion Day bombing | Perth

A Perth judge has lifted a suppression order on the identity of 32-year-old Liam Alexander Hall, who is accused of attempting to bomb an Invasion Day rally in Perth.

The openness of the court is fundamental to the administration of justice, Judge Lynette Dias told the court on Tuesday.

“The media, generally speaking, must be able to cover every matter that comes before the court in order to provide a fair and accurate report,” Dias said.

He said that there are some situations where the court can issue a restraining order and this can only happen if there are appropriate grounds.

“It is not in the interests of justice to issue a suppression order on state charges, otherwise the state would suspend the suppression order on charges.”

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He added that there was a public interest in “subject to public scrutiny of court proceedings” to ensure “confidence in the integrity of the court is maintained”.

“The public interest will generally outweigh any adverse personal consequences to plaintiffs and those associated with them.”

Hall was scheduled to appear via video link from prison on Tuesday morning but did not appear. He is being held in custody on charges of participating in a terrorist act, making or possessing explosives in suspicious circumstances, intending to cause harm or committing an act likely to endanger the life, health or safety of any person.

This is the first time terrorism charges have been laid in Western Australia.

Defense lawyer Simon Freitag requested that the case be adjourned for six weeks on the advice of Hall’s treating psychologist. Freitag said Hall is mentally unstable and is at risk of harm if his identity is revealed.

“He can’t even appear in court today,” Freitag said.

About 2,500 people were present when Hall allegedly threw a homemade “cluster bomb” filled with ball bearings and nails from a balcony into a crowd in Perth’s CBD on January 26.

The device, which was allegedly designed to explode upon impact, did not explode.

The terrorism charge was transferred from the state to state prosecutors.

Federal prosecution attorney Kirsten Nelson argued that any risk to Hall could be managed in custody. He argued that the matter was in the public interest and should comply with the principles of a fair and open court system.

One case of mistaken identity has already occurred, Nelson said, and that risk remains as long as the identity of the defendant is concealed.

At the time of the alleged crime, Hall was living alone in Perth. He was remanded in custody to appear in court again on March 31.

This article was amended on February 17, 2026. An earlier version stated that the defendant appeared in court; was called but did not appear.