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Three of five teens accused of stabbing Gold Coast teenager Jack Beasley to death have been found not-guilty of manslaughter.

Jack, who was 17 at the time of the attack, had been out with friends on the Gold Coast when the group was allegedly set upon by another group of teenagers outside a convenience store in December, 2019.

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It's alleged Jack was stabbed in the chest by the teenagers, who were aged between 15 and 18 at the time.

He did not survive the attack.

One of Jack's friends was also stabbed in the chest and back, puncturing his lung.

Three of the teens were today found not guilty of manslaughter charges.

Defence lawyer Michael Gatenby called the incident a "tragic accident".

"I think it's a good outcome in all of the circumstances for all of the accused boys," Gatenby said.

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"They were young boys and it's a tragic accident.

"Hopefully if anything comes out of this it's that young people stop using knives in Surfers Paradise and on the streets."

Gatenby said the incident has had a traumatic effect on the teenagers and all the families involved.

"At the end of the day someone independently did the stabbing and these boys, although they've been involved, weren't involved in the stabbing itself," he said.

"I think anyone would be determined not to find themselves in that situation again."

Of the remaining teens, one plead guilty to manslaughter and another to murder charges earlier this year.

They will be sentenced in court at a later date.

Jack's father, Brett Beasley, who co-runs the Beasley foundation, an organisation advocating for youth crime and violence prevention, said it will take time for the family to process the verdict.

"We're absolutely gutted on this decision," he said.

"We just need some time."

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The prosecution of Bernard Collaery, the lawyer and former ACT attorney-general charged with leaking classified information about alleged spying by Australia in East Timor, has been discontinued.

Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced on Thursday that he had ordered the Commonwealth to drop its prosecution of Collaery.

"In taking this decision I have had careful regard to our national security, our national interest and the proper administration of justice," Dreyfus said in a statement.

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"It is my view that the prosecution of Mr Collaery should end.

"I have therefore decided to exercise my power under section 71 of the Judiciary Act not to proceed with the prosecution of Mr Collaery."

Collaery was charged in 2018 with leaking classified information for his alleged role in helping reveal information about Australian spying operations in East Timor in 2004.

His client, a whistleblower and former spy known as Witness K, was also charged and handed a three-month suspended jail sentence in 2020 after pleading guilty.

Collaery pleaded not guilty, and had a trial date listed for October.

The prosecution of the pair had been shrouded in secrecy, with the case largely held in closed court under the National Security Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act.

Thursday's decision by the attorney-general was welcomed by human rights and legal advocates who had long campaigned for the prosecution to end.

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"This is an important day for Australian democracy," Kieran Pender, senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said.

"Bernard Collaery should never have been prosecuted. The attorney-general has done the right thing and should be applauded for that.

"Whistleblowers should be protected, not punished – it's as simple as that.

"From war crimes in Afghanistan to misogyny in Parliament House, there are many important stories that would never have been told were it not for the courageous actions of those who spoke up.

"The attorney-general's decision is also a testament to the enduring work of lawyers, barristers, civil society organisations and activists who have fought this unjust prosecution, inside and outside the courtroom for more than four years."

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Footage of the chilling moment a western Sydney home is set on fire has been released by police in hopes of catching the culprit.

A person can be seen walking towards the home on Dolomite Road, Cranebrook, setting it on fire, before running back into a car seconds later.

Emergency services attended and managed to contain the fire to the front room before extinguishing it.

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No one was home at the time but police hope the footage can help find those responsible.

It is believed to have been a targeted attack.

The getaway car is thought to be either a Holden Commodore or Ford Falcon.

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The person depicted in the footage was travelling in the front passenger seat of the car.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.