Former senator Linda Reynolds has won her high-profile defamation case against Brittany Higgins.
Reynolds, who retired from her career in politics earlier this year, sued Higgins over a series of social media posts that she claimed caused reputational hurt and distress.
Reynolds was awarded $315,000 in damages, plus $26,000 in interest payments.
Reynolds had accused Higgins of conducting an orchestrated campaign to end her political career.
The damages relate to two of three social media posts that were the focus of the case. The court found these posts to be defamatory of Reynolds in that they implied she had pressured Higgins not to proceed with her complaint of sexual assault and was hypocritical in her advocacy of female empowerment and gender equality.
Justice Paul Tottle said Higgins’ defence of truth failed.
However Justice Tottle said one of the three social media posts in question was made by Higgins on the basis of honestly held opinion, fair comment and qualified privilege.
Justice Tottle delivered the verdict at a brief hearing today the Western Australian Supreme Court.
What was the trial about?
The trial came about when Linda Reynolds launched a defamation lawsuit over social media posts made by Higgins in 2023, that she claimed damaged her reputation.
Reynolds alleged that Higgins’ social media posts carried imputations she had harassed Higgins, failed to support Higgins after she alleged she has been raped in Parliament House, wanted to silence victims of sexual assault and engaged in questionable conduct during Bruce Lehrmann’s criminal trial.
The two parties were not able to resolve the conflict during mediation, sending the case to court in August 2024.
Reynolds, the former federal defence minister, is Higgins’ former boss.
During the trial last year, more than 20 witnesses gave evidence, including former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and journalist Samantha Maiden. The key witness was Reynolds herself, who took the stand for five days.
In court, Higgins’ lawyer, Rachel Young, argued the social media posts were not defamatory because they were true and any comments were her honestly held opinion.
Young claimed any loss of reputation suffered by Reynolds was caused by her own actions.