October trial date set for Bernard Collaery nearly four years after charges laid

Lawyers hope to appeal against decision to block access to documents about Timor-Leste espionage operation

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Bernard Collaery has been told he will face trial in October, four years after he was charged, despite his lawyers seeking more time to pursue an appeal that could be key to his defence.

Collaery and his former client Witness K were charged in mid-2018 with unlawfully disclosing information about an Australian Secret Intelligence Service mission to bug the government offices of Timor-Leste, an impoverished ally, during negotiations over oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea.

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