Rachael Young

The Catholic church can’t be on the hook for sexual abuse by priests because the principle of vicarious liability is limited to the employment relationship, the High Court has found.

Linda Reynolds has won her bid to subpoena HWL Ebsworth for correspondence with the Commonwealth prior to its $2.4 million settlement Brittany Higgins, as the senator contests Higgins’ characterisation of her decision to refer the settlement to the corruption watchdog as harassment.

Senator Linda Reynolds has admitted she gave incorrect evidence at Bruce Lehrmann’s criminal trial concerning the day he allegedly raped Brittany Higgins, saying it was her “best recollection” at the time. 

Senator Linda Reynolds has asked the court for leave to issue a subpoena to HWL Ebsworth’s chief executive partner for correspondence leading up to the Commonwealth’s $2.4 million settlement with Brittany Higgins over the government’s handling of her rape allegations. 

Senator Linda Reynolds has faced cross-examination over her messages with accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann’s senior counsel ahead of his criminal trial, with the court hearing the barrister told her “s**t is going to get real soon” and “karma comes to those who wait”. 

Senator Linda Reynolds has testified that counsel for accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann told her it “wasn’t appropriate” to share the transcript from criminal proceedings against his client, which Reynolds sought to aid in her defence of civil claims by Brittany Higgins.

Senator Linda Reynolds has admitted that she leaked a confidential letter from the Commonwealth’s solicitors to a reporter at The Australian concerning Brittany Higgins’ claims about the handling of her rape allegations, calling the letter’s confidentiality a “legal nicety” that she didn’t understand.

Senator Linda Reynolds has given evidence about the fallout of media reporting about Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations, saying she experienced health problems from the stress and felt she could not defend herself in the public eye since it was a criminal matter.

A judge has granted Brittany Higgins’ bid to subpoena text messages Linda Reynolds exchanged with accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann’s senior counsel, while also granting the senator’s bid for communications related to a fundraising page for Higgins.

Senator Linda Reynolds has taken the stand in her defamation case against Brittany Higgins, telling a court on Tuesday she encouraged the former staffer to go to the police after her alleged rape by colleague Bruce Lehrmann because she was “not the right person” to conduct an investigation.