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News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst,whose home was raided by federal police.Credit:Dominic Lorrimer

Smethurst,who is currently mounting achallenge in the High Court to prevent police from using the material seized from her home,has never identified her source. In a statement on Thursday,a spokesman for News Corp said:"Annika has never revealed her source publicly,privately,nor to her employer and we are not going to ask her."

The warrant for the raid on Gill's house,contained in documents filed to the court,states:"Between 1 February 2018 and 29 April 2018,Cameron Jon Gill being a staff member of the Australian Signals Directorate communicated Australian Signals Directorate information to Annika Claire Smethurst contrary to section 40 of the Intelligence Services Act 2001."

The warrant authorises police to access devices,documents and communications relating to Smethurst,her employer,ASD and the Department of Home Affairs.

The two warrants used against Smethurst also name Mr Gill.

In August,Michael Pezzullo,the secretary of the Department of Home Affairs,indicatedpolice were "closing in" on the suspected leaker. Mr Pezzullo lashed out at the disclosure as"completely unacceptable"and said the person should go to jail.

The actions against Smethurst – along with raids at the ABC's Sydney headquarters as part of a separate leak investigation – have sparked concerns about creeping threats to press freedom in Australia. The"Australia's Right to Know" coalition of media organisations has since launched a national campaign for changes to the law to restrict government secrecy and protect journalists and whistleblowers.

News Corp Australia corporate affairs director Campbell Reid has warned the police raids were"not intended to intimidate journalists but the people who have the courage to talk to journalists".

Police have refused to rule out seeking charges against Smethurst. The prosecution would have to be approved by Attorney-General Christian Porter,who has said he is"seriously disinclined" to do so.

Smethurst's challenge against the warrant was heard by the full bench of the High Court in Canberra this week,with herlawyers seeking to have the evidence destroyed or prevent investigators from using it.

Stephen Lloyd SC,acting for Smethurst,argues the warrant for the search was invalid and the raid was therefore trespassing,with police unlawfully accessing and copying content from her phone. They contend the appropriate remedy for the actions is destruction of the evidence or preventing investigators from accessing it.

Commonwealth Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue QC defended the warrant as adequate. He argued that even if the court found it to be invalid,the evidence collected during the search should not be destroyed or kept from investigators,pending consideration in any criminal proceedings.

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