Home Australia How Brittany Higgins’ clash with senator fell apart after she was forced to return to Australia from a new life in France

How Brittany Higgins’ clash with senator fell apart after she was forced to return to Australia from a new life in France

by Elijah
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Brittany Higgins was forced to return to Australia from France to mediate. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

A court showdown involving Senator Linda Reynolds against her former employee Brittany Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz was expected this week to resolve their defamation dispute.

But after a marathon private mediation session that lasted several hours on Tuesday, there was still no outcome in the case.

Sharaz and Higgins were forced to return to Australia from their new life in France to confront Senator Reynolds in person, but the outgoing politician reportedly opted to sit in a separate room during the mediation talks.

Brittany Higgins was forced to return to Australia from France to mediate. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Brittany Higgins was forced to return to Australia from France to mediate. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Ms Higgins arrived at the WA Supreme Court on Tuesday morning in good spirits, ready to cut through the media turmoil and take on her former boss in forced mediation.

Wearing a $1,300 cornflower blue button-down Ahana dress by London designer Beulah, whose slogan is “fighting slavery through fashion”, Mrs Higgins smiled and exchanged jokes with the media.

The dress was the same one Princess Kate wore when the royal opened the Young V&A childhood museum in London last year, except the princess wore a light pink version.

Next to Higgins was Sharaz, who was equally well dressed in high-end fashion, including a light blue shirt and cream jacket, accessorized with a $200 Ralph Lauren silk knit tie.

David Sharaz wore a $200 Ralph Lauren silk knit tie. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

David Sharaz wore a $200 Ralph Lauren silk knit tie. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

David Sharaz wore a $200 Ralph Lauren silk knit tie. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Higgins said he believed everyone was eager to resolve matters in good faith, but he had mixed emotions about his return to WA.

It was Ms Higgins’ first visit to Perth since working in the state in the run-up to the 2019 federal election, shortly after she alleged she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann, another Canberra staffer, in the office from Senator Reynolds, a claim that Mr. Lehrmann flatly denies.

“It’s a difficult place to return to,” Ms. Higgins told reporters.

‘It’s beautiful, but personally it’s difficult to be back in Perth.

“I think everyone is acting in good faith trying to get a result.”

While that may have been true, the day didn’t go exactly as planned.

Both parties were locked up from 10 in the morning until almost 7 in the afternoon, without even leaving the building to have lunch, which was taken to them instead.

When the parties finally left in the evening, the building had already been closed for a long time and the security personnel had left.

Linda Reynolds walked hand in hand with her husband. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Linda Reynolds walked hand in hand with her husband. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Linda Reynolds walked hand in hand with her husband. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz did not comment to the waiting media.

Meanwhile, Senator Reynolds, who was accompanied by her husband Robert Reid, holding hands when they arrived in the morning, spoke only briefly at the end of the long day.

Senator Reynolds told expected media that talks were “ongoing.”

“It’s still ongoing, so it’s not appropriate for me to comment on it yet,” he said.

Senator Reynolds launched legal proceedings against Higgins, alleging that her former employee defamed her in two social media posts in July last year, violating a non-disparagement clause in a deed of agreement they signed in March 2021.

Their dispute arises from allegations made by Ms Higgins that she was raped by Mr Lehrmann.

A trial against Mr Lehrmann was aborted due to jury misconduct, then a retrial was canceled due to fears for Ms Higgins’ mental health, leading to the charge being dropped.

Lehrmann has always vehemently denied Higgins’ claim.

Higgins said he had mixed emotions about returning to WA. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Higgins said he had mixed emotions about returning to WA. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Higgins said he had mixed emotions about returning to WA. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

In a social media post, Higgins said Senator Reynolds continued to “harass me through the media and in parliament.”

Senator Reynolds claims she suffered loss and damage as a result of the posts.

The senator also launched legal action against Sharaz, alleging that he defamed her in five social media posts in December 2022 and January 2023.

Among the defamatory allegations leveled against Sharaz’s publications are that Senator Reynolds pressured Higgins not to file a police complaint, “is a hypocrite in her advocacy for women’s interests and empowerment” and interfered in the Lehrmann trial.

Judge Marcus Solomon, who has repeatedly called for the two matters to be resolved through mediation rather than a trial, mediated the case on Tuesday alongside Recorder Danielle Davies.

Judge Solomon warned at an earlier hearing that the “human cost of litigation” loomed large.

Senator Reynolds claims she suffered loss and damage as a result of the social media posts. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Senator Reynolds claims she suffered loss and damage as a result of the social media posts. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

Senator Reynolds claims she suffered loss and damage as a result of the social media posts. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith

The parties were due to face each other for a second day in a row at the WA Supreme Court on Wednesday, this time for a strategy conference, which would have been open to the media, but a court spokeswoman confirmed the matter had been struck out.

No future hearing dates were initially listed, leading to speculation that a trial seemed more likely.

But on Wednesday night, a court spokeswoman confirmed that the mediation process had been postponed and would be rescheduled.

Mediation will resume “in due course and it is proposed that the matter be included in a directions hearing within a few weeks”, according to the spokeswoman.

Senator Reynolds, who was awarded $90,000 by the ACT Government last Monday in a separate action, also secured an undisclosed legal settlement from HarperCollins over Aaron Patrick’s book Ego.

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