ICAO Annexe 13
The reference to ICAO agreements is correct. When CVRs were first mooted, pilots naturally were against having every word recorded in their work day. Then the above agreement was reached to protect normal privacy values, and so CVRs became standard, required equipment. All happy and everyone standing by agreements, until the NZ case and now this.
The more individuals the CVR is released to, the more chance there is that the whole recording will end up on Youtube. And that is the beginning of the end for the CVR. Don't even mention cockpit video recorders.
For all the non-pilots; How would you feel if EVERYTHING you said at work yesterday was in today's paper, or published online?
Before the courts release a CVR, there must be incontrovertible evidence of criminally negligent behaviour. Relying on the CVR for this is just a fishing expedition.