Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to be called as a witness for Senator Linda Reynolds as she fights to clear her name in an impending defamation trial against former staffer Brittany Higgins.
The matter returned to the WA Supreme Court on Tuesday for a directions hearing to try to finalize a start date for the trial and a timeline, but lawyers were in disagreement.
The senator’s legal team wanted the trial date to be brought forward as planned to July 24 so they could call witnesses, who are expected to include former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Senator Michaelia Cash.
But lawyers representing Ms Higgins asked for the date to be moved up by a week so her new Perth-based lawyer, led by Rachel Young SC, could be briefed.
WA Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds outside the David Malcolm Justice Center with lawyer Martin Bennett. Image: NewsWire/Sharon Smith
Brittany Higgins outside the David Malcolm Justice Center in Perth earlier this year. Image: NCA NewsWire / Sharon Smith
Speaking outside court, Ms Reynolds told reporters she wanted justice to be done for “the many people whose lives had been destroyed” following Ms Higgins’ allegation that she was raped by her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the court’s office. senator, a claim he has denied.
The senator is suing Ms. Higgins and her newlywed husband, David Sharaz, over social media posts the couple made, which the senator says defamed her.
In the Federal Court earlier this year, Judge Michael Lee ruled that he was satisfied under a civil standard – which is different to the criminal standard – that, all things considered, Ms Higgins was raped.
That finding came after legal action Lehrmann brought against Network 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over a report on the show The Project in 2021.
Mr. Lehrmann appeals against the decision.
Judge Lee also found that claims of a political cover-up involving Senator Reynolds and others were not true, a finding that Senator Reynolds had previously said justified him.
Outside court on Tuesday, the senator told reporters that she had always hoped she and Higgins could reach a settlement before the matter went to trial.
“So we’re going to go to court because it’s too important, I need to finally clear my name, it’s been over three years and a lot of people have been very hurt by this,” the senator said.
‘Judge Lee was very clear about the fact that there was never any political conspiracy, that I looked after Ms Higgins and, in particular, my chief of staff, Fiona Brown.
‘It’s time for those people who have perpetuated that (claim) to accept that they were wrong and apologize, so we can all move on.
“There was simply never any political conspiracy and there were certainly allegations of mistreatment, as the evidence at Lee’s trial has absolutely demonstrated.”
Judgment was handed down in the matter involving Mr Sharaz in May after he gave his consent to the court but asked for an assessment of damages relating to the Senator’s claim against him following the trial with Ms Higgins .
His lawyer Jason MacLaurin told the court his client wanted little to do with the case.
Judge Paul Tottle ordered that Sharaz be banned from making social media posts such as those that had allegedly damaged Senator Reynolds’ reputation.
The matter was adjourned to a date to be determined next week.