And now for the latest in the defamation row unfolding between.
We understand that in an urgent hearing to be held this afternoon,Higgins’ lawyers intend to request the six-week trial set down for July 24 be postponed. But Reynolds’ lawyers will oppose the motion.
The senator sued Higgins and her fiancé,former press gallery journalist David Sharaz,for damages over more than seven social media posts she claimed falsely defamed her — including one in which Higgins accused Reynolds of using the press to harass her. Both Higgins and Sharaz have defended their respective cases.
The hearing will be the first since Federal Court justice Michael Lee found,to the civil standard,that — on the balance of probabilities — fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann had raped Higgins in then-cabinet minister Reynolds’ parliamentary office in 2019. But Lee also ruled there was no political cover-up.
After the judgment,Higgins took to social media to apologise to Reynolds and her former chief of staff Fiona Brown while expressing deep regret that the parties had not yet found “common ground”.
Reynolds,however,vowed to pursue the action,insisting she was committed to fully vindicating her reputation.