Ben Roberts-Smith has won approval to split his case at the upcoming trial in his defamation case against three publishers over articles accusing him of war crimes, with a judge saying the seriousness of the allegations against him weighed in favour of the unorthodox move.
Former attorney-general Christian Porter has dodged a question about whether his defamation lawsuit against the ABC and reporter Louise Milligan is being funded by third parties, saying he went into the litigation knowing the case would be a “massive drain” on his finances.
Silk Sue Chrysanthou was given information during a conference with a friend of Christian Porter’s accuser that could help the former attorney-general in his defamation case against the ABC.
War veteran Ben Roberts-Smith “wiped” a laptop last month containing possible national secrets found on USB sticks retrieved from his former home, the judge overseeing the former soldier’s defamation case against three publishers has heard.
A leading defamation barrister warned silk Sue Chrysanthou not to act for Christian Porter in the former attorney general’s defamation case against the ABC over its coverage of rape allegations, a court has heard.
The High Court has ordered mining magnate Clive Palmer to pay Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan’s costs for contempt proceedings brought against him during the war of words that erupted between the pair over the state’s decision to close its borders at the height of the coronavirus pandemic last year.
Senior barrister Sue Chrysanthou has rejected claims that she has failed in her duties as a barrister by representing federal minister Christian Porter in his defamation proceedings against the ABC over coverage of rape allegations.
War veteran Ben Roberts-Smith is seeking all “covert recordings” held by Nine and revealed in a number of news publications last month in which the former soldier said it was his “sole mission” to destroy the journalists behind allegedly defamatory articles accusing him of war crimes.
Christian Porter has won access to communications by the woman behind a challenge to his legal representation in a defamation case against the ABC, after telling a court it would be a “very big deal” if he lost his counsel.
Lawyers retained by former attorney-general Christian Porter have accused the ABC of making “improper” allegations against Porter’s counsel, who is facing calls for her to return her brief to act for him in defamation proceedings against the national broadcaster.