Linda Reynolds defamation case : Brittany Higgins has issued an apology after her former boss, Linda Reynolds, emerged “vindicated” and victorious from a long-running defamation case.
Reynolds had sued Higgins over a series of social media posts that the former senator claimed harmed her reputation.
The Western Australian Supreme Court ruled today that the posts were defamatory, awarding Reynolds $315,000 in damages and $26,109 in interest, with costs yet to be determined.
In an Instagram statement, Higgins expressed relief that the case had concluded, writing:
I acknowledge that Linda Reynolds’ feelings were hurt by these events, and I am sorry for that. I wish her well in the future.
WA Supreme Court Rules Higgins’ Posts Were Defamatory
Outside the court, Reynolds said that Justice Paul Tottle had uncovered the truth after a five-week trial in 2024, which evolved into a major spectacle involving prominent figures from Australian politics and media.
It is an enormous relief to have my reputation finally and completely vindicated,” the former defence minister told reporters.
However, it is disappointing that this process took four and a half years, multiple legal proceedings, and millions of dollars.
Meanwhile, Higgins expressed gratitude to the public for its compassion over the years following her allegation of being raped at Parliament House.
My family and I are now focused on healing and rebuilding our lives,” she shared on social media.
Reynolds Clarifies Lawsuit Was About Reputation, Not Rape Allegations
Reynolds stated that the lawsuit was never about Higgins’ rape allegation or financial compensation.
This case was always about the false and damaging attacks on my reputation,” she said.
Those lies destroyed my reputation, took a toll on my health, and ended my career.
This has been an incredibly exhausting journey, both emotionally and financially, but I never stopped fighting for the truth and for justice.
She urged the federal government to review Justice Tottle’s ruling, saying it should acknowledge that allegations of a political cover-up of Higgins’ alleged rape involving her were unfounded, “so genuine healing can begin.
Justice Tottle ruled that a tweet posted by Higgins and her husband, David Sharaz, in January 2022 was defamatory. It suggested that Reynolds pressured Higgins not to pursue a sexual assault complaint and portrayed her as a hypocrite in her advocacy for gender equality and female empowerment.
An Instagram story from July 2023, later shared by Higgins on her Threads account, was also deemed defamatory.
Reynolds argued it implied she engaged in a campaign of harassment against Higgins, mishandled the rape allegation, and acted improperly during Bruce Lehrmann’s aborted criminal trial.
Additionally, two tweets by Higgins from July 2023 were found to be defamatory as they conveyed the imputation that Reynolds sought to silence sexual assault victims.
January 2022 Tweet and July 2023 Posts Found Defamatory
However, Reynolds’ claim for damages was unsuccessful because Higgins successfully relied on the defences of honest opinion, fair comment, and qualified privilege, Justice Tottle noted.
Reynolds’ allegation of a conspiracy to damage her reputation — linked to Higgins’ 2021 interviews with journalist Lisa Wilkinson from Network Ten’s The Project and Gold Walkley winner Samantha Maiden from News Corp — also failed.
Justice Tottle said Reynolds had not proven that Higgins and Sharaz intended to harm her reputation.
The court did, however, uphold Reynolds’ claim that Higgins breached a deed of settlement that was agreed upon after Reynolds was found to have called her former staffer a “lying cow.
Justice Tottle’s 360-page judgment included factual findings about the incidents involving Higgins and Reynolds, including the alleged 2019 rape and subsequent events over the following years.
He stated that Higgins made 26 false or misleading statements in media interviews after the alleged assault. Higgins had accused Lehrmann of raping her in the senator’s ministerial suite.
Separately, a Federal Court judge overseeing Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten found, on the balance of probabilities, that Higgins was raped by Lehrmann in the office. Lehrmann is appealing that decision.
He has consistently denied the allegation, and his criminal trial collapsed due to juror misconduct.
In a separate proceeding, Reynolds also sued Sharaz for defamation over multiple tweets and posts on Instagram and Facebook in 2022. Sharaz settled the matter before the trial involving Reynolds and Higgins commenced.
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