Defamation

A judge has thrown out a defamation case by John Peros, the former boyfriend of Shandee Blackburn, over a podcast by The Australian dealing with her murder, finding he did not suffer serious harm from the publication.

The former deputy leader of the Victorian Liberal Party will be required to give evidence in person in a defamation case against party leader John Pesutto by expelled party member Moira Deeming, with a judge noting the importance of cross-examination “chemistry” where credibility is at issue.

Victorian Liberal party leader John Pesutto’s credit will be at issue in defamation proceedings brought against him by expelled party member Moira Deeming, who alleges she was “piled upon” during a party meeting over an anti-trans rally she attended.

Former Melbourne Demons chairman Glen Bartlett has been given the green light to relaunch a defamation case against the AFL club’s president and other senior officials after discontinuing proceedings that were transferred from his home state of Western Australia to Victoria.

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.