Liberal senator is suing former staffer over social media posts she alleges damaged her reputation
The trial in Linda Reynolds’ defamation case against Brittany Higgins has begun, marking the latest in a series of legal battles related to Higgins’ rape in Parliament House five years ago.supreme court on Friday, with the Western Australian senator suing Higgins over social media posts she alleges damaged her reputation.The case is one of a number of cases to stem from Higgins’ decision to publicly allege she had been raped in Reynolds’ office by a colleague, Bruce Lehrmann, in 2021.
Lehrmann has always vehemently denied the allegation and pleaded not guilty at the criminal trial, which was aborted due to juror misconduct. A second trial did not proceed due to prosecutors’ fears for Higgins’ mental health As part of his failed defamation trial against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson, a federal court in April found that, on the balance of probabilities,against the government for an undisclosed amount in December 2022.
Reynolds claimed the payment to Higgins was finalised in an “unusually swift” manner, “raising serious questions about how this significant sum of public money was determined and allocated”.against her former staffer, saying “ever since Ms Higgins first made her allegations of rape public, I have been the target of unwarranted criticism and abuse”.
Court documents show Reynolds alleges that Higgins’ posts were in breach of a settlement and release signed in March 2021. That settlement allegedly contained a non-disparagement clause. The trial before Justice Paul Tottle is expected to continue until early September, with a host of high-profile witnesses expected to offer their accounts, including Reynolds and Higgins.
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