A court has found Linda Reynolds was defamed by social posts made by former staffer Brittany Higgins, ordering the latter pay over $300,000 in damages.

Perth

Former Western Australian senator Linda Reynolds has been awarded more than $300,000 in damages after the Supreme Court found she was defamed by Brittany Higgins. The court determined that social media posts made by Higgins and her husband contained defamatory claims, including allegations that Reynolds pressured Higgins not to proceed with a sexual assault complaint and mishandled the situation.

Justice Paul Tottle found that while Reynolds was defamed, her separate claim of a conspiracy against her by Higgins and her husband was not established. Brittany Higgins was not present for the decision, but later expressed relief that the matter had concluded and apologized for any hurt caused to Reynolds.

Linda Reynolds wins defamation case against Brittany Higgins

walking out of WA's Supreme Court after being awarded more than $300,000 in damages. It is a great relief that my reputation has been finally and fully vindicated. Almost a year on from a high-stakes trial, Justice Paul Tottle today found former WA Senator Linda Reynolds was defamed by alleged sexual assault victim Brittany Higgins. The first tweet in 2022 by the young staffer and her husband David Shiraz, claiming Ms Reynolds had pressured her not to proceed with a genuine complaint of sexual assault. What followed was a series of social media posts by Ms Higgins, including claims her former boss had been engaged in a campaign of harassing her and had mishandled her allegation of rape. Both imputations were defamatory. I was falsely accused of conspiring with the then Prime Minister to cover up the rape of a young woman in my office. Despite the legal win, Justice Tottle found Linda Reynolds failed to establish her claim of a conspiracy against her, where she accused Higgins and Shiraz of devising a plan to attack her by leaking curated stories to journalists. Brittany Higgins not present for today's decision, her lawyer making no comment. She say anything about today's judgment? But in a statement on social media, the mother of one says she is grateful the matter has finally reached a conclusion. Adding she accepts Linda Reynolds' feelings were hurt and she is sorry for that. And she and her family look forward to healing and rebuilding, a long-awaited end to a bitter court battle. Brianna Inferrera, 10 News.

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