Opinion
Yes, folks, just as I predicted, the circus is far from over: Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins are going to keep scandal-mongering journalism (present company excepted, hem-hem) well-supplied for a good while, yet.
In a new twist, Aussie taxpayers might be wondering where the $2.4m of their tax money has gone. It can’t all have been blown on cutesy French villas and holidays in the Seychelles, can it?
Brittany Higgins’ fiance David Sharaz has declared he will no longer defend himself against the defamation claim lodged against him by Linda Reynolds, in the latest twist in the long-running legal saga.
Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz at the same time over the social media posts in 2022 and 2023. Senator Reynolds is expected to argue that her reputation was destroyed by a false allegation that she was part of an attempt to cover-up the rape of Ms Higgins by her then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann and the social media posts by the pair that pushed that false allegation.
In a directions hearing in the Supreme Court of Western Australia on Tuesday, Mr Sharaz’s lawyer described the impending six week trial – scheduled to start in late July – as horrendously expensive and a disaster for everyone. He said Mr Sharaz could not afford to participate in it.
My, how events catch up with you fast. One minute, it’s all “I won’t be silenced”, and bragging about how your close friends in the Labor party are on your side, the next, it’s all apologies and wanting to “move on”.
“I will now appeal for Senator Reynolds to settle her litigation against Brittany, a rape victim, by agreeing to disagree and putting all of this behind them. It’s time to move on,” he wrote.
“It’s time to let Brittany heal.”
All of this, I’m sure, has absolutely nothing to do with Justice Michael Lee ruling that Higgins lied “when it suited her”, and that the whole “cover-up” claim was a complete load of rubbish.
After Justice Lee’s judgment, Ms Higgins issued a public statement in which she acknowledged that “Senator Reynolds and Fiona Brown have also been hurt and for that I am also sorry”.
Nice try. But at least one of the woman you so relentlessly smeared isn’t buying the Clayton’s apology.
Senator Reynolds said soon after that while she appreciated the apology, she would continue her defamation case unless Ms Higgins accepted Justice Lee’s findings there was no political cover-up.
The Australian
On the other side of the scandal, having gone back for his hat and gotten bitten badly, Bruce Lehrmann is weighing up going back again and kicking the lions in the bollocks.
Bruce Lehrmann is considering appealing judge Michael Lee’s findings that he raped Brittany Higgins, and is seeking help from local and overseas funders to help carry the heavy financial burden of further litigation.
The Australian understands top media law silk Guy Reynolds SC has been hired to lead a team representing Mr Lehrmann in an appeal against Justice Lee’s decision, which earlier this month found Network 10 and presenter Lisa Wilkinson did not defame the former Liberal staffer when interviewing Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021.
Mr Lehrmann has 28 days to lodge an appeal to the Federal Court if he wishes to do so.
For his part, Lehrmann has staunchly maintained his innocence. It wouldn’t be the first time that a massive and scandalous court case was overturned on appeal. Just ask Cardinal George Pell.
The Australian understands Mr Reynolds is confident an appeal against Ten and Wilkinson’s truth case would be successful, and could result in at least some costs being borne by Ten.
And, just to add a final dash of sauce to a still-simmering scandal, some other people involved might be about to learn that it’s best to keep your mouth shut while the getting’s good.
The Australian also understands speeches made outside the court shortly after Justice Lee’s judgment was handed down may be raised at Wednesday’s costs hearing.
Justice Lee has requested copies of comments made by Ten’s lawyer Justin Quill, and has written to law firm Thomson Geer – where Mr Quill is a partner – requesting a full transcript of the comments he made to a waiting press pack following the conclusion of the trial.
In the correspondence, Justice Lee also requested a copy of an article written by Mr Quill that was published in News Corp’s newspapers including the Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph, titled: ‘Defence fails, but publishing story was reasonable’.
The Australian
Don’t put the popcorn away just yet, folks.