An attempt to resolve the defamation trial initiated by Liberal senator Linda Reynolds against her former staffer Brittany Higgins through peace talks has collapsed. Allegedly, Higgins took to social media to criticize her former employer once again, thwarting the efforts to avert the costly trial.
The crux of Senator Reynolds’ case revolves around social media posts by Higgins and her partner David Sharaz last year, which Reynolds asserts tarnished her reputation.
During a hearing at the WA Supreme Court on Wednesday, it was revealed that Higgins allegedly posted, “I won’t stay silent so you can stay comfortable,” on social media around the time of a mediation session in Perth, which Higgins and Sharaz attended after flying in from France.
Reynolds’s lawyer, prominent defamation specialist Martin Bennett, indicated that this alleged action would be incorporated into an amended statement of claim, potentially leading to further aggravated damages. Additionally, Bennett suggested that Higgins and Sharaz had orchestrated a “concerted plan” to “attack his client,” potentially with support from certain media outlets.
Bennett further hinted that details from a five-hour recorded pre-interview involving Channel 10 reporter Lisa Wilkinson, producer Angus Llewellyn, Higgins, and Sharaz could be presented as evidence in Reynolds’s case. This interview was conducted before a program aired, revealing Higgins’s allegations of rape in Parliament House in 2019.
The hearing also deliberated on whether Reynolds’s cases against Sharaz and Higgins would proceed separately or jointly, aiming to alleviate the stress of litigation, particularly considering that the primary parties involved are individuals rather than media organizations with substantial resources.
Bennett disclosed plans to call up to 20 witnesses, including Reynolds’s former parliamentary colleagues, friends, and medical professionals who witnessed the impact on her. He also indicated his intention to present evidence refuting Higgins’s claims of feeling isolated and ostracized during her participation in the election campaign in Western Australia following her allegations.
The trial is scheduled for July.
