The principles governing when inspection of a court file by a non-party will be permitted are discussed in Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Hawkins (Inspection Application by Matrix Group and Anor) [2016] FCA 164.
Pagone J discussed the authorities and considered that amongst other things, any material read in open court, such as an affidavit, ought to be accessible by non-parties by reason that the proceedings are conducted in open court.
Further, the ‘general principle that the public should have access to what is used or deployed in court proceedings does not depend upon the motives of a person seeking to obtain access’: [12].