Billionaire Kerry Stokes has lost his challenge to paying in lump sum Fairfax’s legal fees in defending Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation case over war crimes allegations, having argued for an itemised bill after the Seven West Media chair agreed to foot the costs on an indemnity basis.
Billionaire Kerry Stokes and Nine-owned Fairfax are fighting about how to calculate costs for Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation case after the Seven West Media chair agreed to foot the legal bill on an indemnity basis.
Seven West Media chair Kerry Stokes has agreed to pay the costs of Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation case, sparing the billionaire from producing thousands of emails exchanged with Roberts-Smith’s solicitors about the case. The Stokes-owned Australian Capital Equity has acquiesced to a third-party costs order sought by Nine-owned Fairfax, according to a Federal Court order…
An appeals court has refused to set aside subpoenas forcing Seven to produce some of the 8,600 emails it exchanged with Ben Roberts-Smith’s solicitors concerning his failed defamation case over alleged war crimes he committed in Afghanistan.
In allowing Seven and chairman Kerry Stokes to challenge a ruling granting Fairfax access to 8,600 emails with accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith’s legal team, a judge has said they will suffer prejudice if “personally embarrassing” communications are put into evidence.
Seven Network and chairman Kerry Stokes can challenge a ruling allowing Fairfax to access thousands of “deeply personal” emails sent to and from former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith during his defamation case.
Subpoenas granting Fairfax access to thousands of emails to and from former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith, represent “a very real and profound intrusion into private affairs,” a court has heard.
Former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith and Seven Network, which funded his defamation case, have asked for the Full Federal Court to weigh in on appeals against a decision requiring the production of thousands of emails passing between them, which the broadcaster said has implications for all funded proceedings.
A judge has rejected a request by lawyers for Seven and the TV network’s billionaire chairman, Kerry Stokes, to issue a correction to his published decision ordering the production of over 8,600 emails exchanged with Ben Roberts-Smith’s lawyers in a defamation case.
A court has dismissed a challenge by a Liberal Party member to a decision by prime minister Scott Morrison and two other members of the federal executive to endorse incumbents to contest seats in NSW at the upcoming election, a ruling that paves the way for the PM to name the date.