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Meghan and Harry have cheered on athletes in among the crowds at the Invictus Games after walking in hand in hand.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were sitting side-by-side clapping and also reacting to the game tensely as they watched the wheelchair basketball with Australian supporters on Wednesday morning in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Harry hugged a competitor and shook hands with another during the morning.

The pair were all smiles as they held hands while walking in the Merkur Spiel-Arena, Harry in an Invictus Games polo top and trousers and Meghan wearing a black top with white shorts and a white cardigan with gold buttons.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex handed out medals to children on the basketball court and the couple also posed for photographs with others at the event.

It comes after Meghan arrived late at the Invictus Games on Tuesday, saying she had to spend more time getting their "little ones settled at home".

Meghan and Harry appeared on a stage where the duchess made an impromptu speech and described the Invictus Games as an "amazing event", and joked with the audience as she ran slightly late.

The pair were in high spirits as they spoke during the event's party for friends and family of the competitors.

The duchess, who was wearing a black dress, added she would one day like to bring her children to the games.

Meghan travelled from the Sussexes' home in California to the German city, where Harry launched the sporting event for wounded military personnel and veterans on Saturday night.

The couple appeared in public together for the first time at the Toronto Invictus Games in 2017, pictured hand in hand at a wheelchair tennis event.

It is likely that Meghan's mother Doria Ragland is looking after the Sussexes' young children Archie and Lilibet at their home in Montecito, California.

Harry was pictured earlier on Tuesday sharing a joke with TV presenter and Invictus Games medallist JJ Chalmers during the wheelchair basketball competition, after taking part in some "seat dancing".

On Monday, Harry, the founding patron of the Invictus Games, warmly embraced a wheelchair rugby player by kissing him on the head.

He watched matches in an eight-team wheelchair rugby knockout tournament, then presented medals and spoke to players after Team USA defeated the United Kingdom 21-13 in the final.

His attendance at the games comes after a brief visit to the UK, where he attended the WellChild Awards and visited St George's Chapel in Windsor on the anniversary of the death of his grandmother, the late Queen.

© PAA 2023

The AFL could tweak the sport's rules at season's end, while the organisation's football manager Laura Kane concedes the league had no grounds to appeal the tribunal's decision to clear Collingwood's Brayden Maynard of rough conduct.

Debate continues to rage after Maynard was found to have no case to answer for his attempted smother that knocked out Melbourne's Angus Brayshaw.

The decision frees the defender to play in Collingwood's preliminary final next week.

Maynard had leapt into the air in an attempt to smother the ball and turned his body at the last moment, resulting in his shoulder making contact with Brayshaw's head.

Brayshaw will miss Melbourne's semi-final against Carlton - and may not play again under a worst-case scenario - after being badly concussed.

Maynard would have been banned for at least three games if found guilty.

The incident has divided the football world, with the AFL unimpressed by the tribunal's decision but ultimately opting not to appeal.

"The debate was a passionate one and ... it was a really difficult situation, difficult incident," Kane said on Wednesday evening.

"It's really challenging for everybody involved, but we didn't feel there were grounds to appeal.

"If we did think there were grounds to appeal, we would have."

Kane, who was appointed last month, conceded the situation had been a "baptism of fire, but nothing is unexpected in our game".

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin had said the case would define what players' duty of care looked like in "football acts".

The league hinted a rule tweak could be made at the end of the season after the incident is further assessed.

"The health and safety of players in our game will always be the AFL's priority and regardless of the tribunal outcome this incident will be subject to close examination at the end of the season," the AFL said in a statement.

"The AFL has actively taken action to minimise the incidence of concussion in our game and has continued to make considered decisions to protect the health and safety of our athletes, including by making further rule changes to deter avoidable forceful head high contact in our game as has been done in over 30 instances over the past two decades."

Kane indicated the league wouldn't focus on smothering alone when reviewing the rules.

"I won't comment on one particular rule of the game, and reiterate that this situation was unique," she said.

Friday's statement confirming the Maynard incident had been referred to the tribunal was issued by match review officer Michael Christian and Kane.

Kane wouldn't be drawn on reports Christian hadn't wanted to refer Maynard to the tribunal and had threatened to step aside.

"In terms of what occurred on Friday, Chrisso is passionate. He's passionate about football. He's passionate about his role and he holds it at utmost importance," she said.

"We worked through this incident and as you saw on Friday evening, we released a joint statement which referred this matter to the tribunal.

"There's no issue (with Christian). I won't enter into hypotheticals but I'm really comfortable with the model that we have. I was in regular contact with Michael all weekend."

During the four-hour tribunal hearing, AFL counsel Andrew Woods argued Maynard had breached his duty of care by smothering in a dangerous way.

He also argued Maynard had made a conscious decision to bump after realising contact would be made.

But the AFL Tribunal - chairman Jeff Gleeson, Scott Stevens and Darren Gaspar - found Maynard's actions "reasonable" as he committed to smothering Brayshaw when he was several metres away.

© AAP 2023

Accused rapists will be stripped of the "outdated" protection of anonymity in Queensland within weeks after legislation passed state parliament.

Longstanding laws suppressed the public identification of people charged with rape or other sexual offences until they were committed to stand trial.

A bill passed on Wednesday means they can be named unless there is a suppression or non-publication order.

The changes bring Queensland into line with all other Australian jurisdictions except the Northern Territory and were a key recommendation of the landmark Women's and Safety Task Force.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said in May when introducing the bill previous protections for accused rapists were based in part on the "outdated and false" assumption women maliciously made up complaints to damage reputations.

"These rape myths have absolutely no place in our society," Ms D'Ath told parliament on Tuesday.

The sexual offences include rape, attempt to commit rape, assault with intent to commit rape and sexual assault.

People before the courts on sexual offence charges will have 72 hours from October 3 to apply for a non-publication order or they can be named.

Courts must also consider any submissions made or views expressed by or on behalf of alleged victims when considering non-publication orders.

The bill was to come into effect after a media guide was put together for "responsible reporting of sexual violence".

The laws were fast-tracked after the guide was developed ahead of schedule and would apply from October 3, Ms D'Ath said.

"It is anticipated that the guide will be distributed to media organisations and journalists in advance of the commencement date to assist their reporting on relevant sexual violence matters before the courts," she said.

Other legislative amendments in the justice bill included greater recognition for deaths of unborn children as a result of criminal conduct.

"Sophie's Law" recognises the unborn child of Sarah and Peter Milosevic, who was killed in a car accident involving a drunk driver in 2014.

The laws allow the name or description of an unborn child to be stated in relevant indictments and require courts to treat ending an unborn child's life as an aggravating factor in sentencing for serious offences such as murder, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Mr and Mrs Milosevic have long campaigned for the law and were in the parliamentary gallery, where the attorney-general shared some words on behalf of the family.

"This law reform has brought peace to myself, my husband and our children," Ms D'Ath said.

"Peace in knowing the loss of her life wasn't for nothing, that she counted, that Sophie mattered and that all babies matter."

Ms D'Ath said the reforms better recognised the death of an unborn child as a result of criminal conduct and struck the right balance between a range of competing elements in the criminal justice system.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

© AAP 2023