Millane murder-accused keeps name secret

The man accused of killing British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand has won a bid to keep his identity secret.

The 27-year-old, who was arrested and charged with murder in December, last month made a legal appeal to keep his name suppressed in New Zealand media.

On Friday, High Court Justice Simon Moore released a decision granting a continuation of name suppression in order to protect the accused's fair trial rights.

However, the reasons and arguments behind the ruling cannot be reported.

The accused's identification by international media last year both drew warnings from New Zealand's government and prompted debate about the effectiveness of suppression laws in the age of the internet.

During the saga, executives from internet giant Google were hauled into the justice ministers's office to explain an email to New Zealand users naming the accused.

The accused in January pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Millane.

His trial is scheduled to begin in November.

Ms Millane's body was found in bush on the outskirts of Auckland a week after she went missing in the city's centre on December 1 - the day before her 22nd birthday.

She was on the second leg of a year-long world tour after graduating from university. After visiting Peru, she arrived in New Zealand in November.