QResear.ch

#21755179 at 2024-10-13 03:48:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 75
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 7
>>21520912 Brittany Higgins's lawyer delivers rebuke of senator Linda Reynolds testimony in defamation trial - Senator Linda Reynolds was an unreliable witness who failed to answer questions and whose "gratuitous" and "self-serving" testimony was more like advocacy, court defamation proceedings against her former staffer Brittany Higgins have been told. The defamation case, which has been heard over the past month in the WA Supreme Court, revolves around a handful of social media posts made by Ms Higgins last year that Senator Reynolds took offence to. The posts were made four years after the young woman was raped in Senator Reynolds's parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann. While he has always denied raping Ms Higgins, he was found to have done so in civil proceedings in the federal court earlier this year. In a blistering final submission, Ms Higgins's lawyer Rachael Young SC told the court Senator Reynolds did not always believe her former staffer had been raped, contrary to what she had repeatedly claimed. Senator Reynolds expressed ambivalence about the alleged rape to News Corp journalist Samantha Maiden, directly disavowed it in an interview with Channel 7's Spotlight last year, and her lawyer Martin Bennett also cast doubt in his opening address, Ms Young said. This included Mr Bennett's assertion that "the imagination of young people" meant the rape could have happened anywhere in the Senator's office, so she was not to know it happened on her couch, and his description of Ms Higgins "seeking a villain in her fairytale story of political cover-up".
>>21525883 Higgins, Reynolds' lawyers in tug-of-war over 'conspiracy' claim amid shock Credlin connection - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of concocting a plan to weaponise her alleged rape in an "unprovoked attack underpinned by visceral hatred", while revealing Sky News anchor Peta Credlin finessed one of her powerful public addresses. Higgins' barrister, Rachael Young, SC, used the final hour of her closing address on Tuesday to savage the conspiracy arm of Reynolds' Supreme Court defamation claim over several social media posts from July 2023. Young told the court the Reynolds' evidence had failed to support her claim Higgins and the ex-staffer's now-husband David Sharaz had devised a malicious plan to attack her by handpicking journalists, curating the timing of the bombshell story and aiding her political opponents. She downplayed the relevance of a five-hour recording before Higgins' tell-all interview with The Project in 2021 in which Sharaz told journalist Lisa Wilkinson the former staffer's motivation was for Reynolds to lose her job. Heard in its entirety, Young, said the audio showed Higgins' real desire was for cultural change and that had been evidenced by her continued advocacy for reform and to support victims of sexual assault.
>>21530690 Reynolds' lawyer throws spotlight on Higgins, Sharaz texts amid political furore - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of mocking the fact the attack she launched by weaponising her alleged rape had culminated in the former defence minister's hospitalisation. Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett used the final day of his closing address on Wednesday to take the WA Supreme Court through a series of text messages between Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz in February 2021. After several days of intense questioning over Higgins' allegation she had been raped by a colleague in Reynolds' ministerial office following a night out on March 23, 2019, Reynolds had a public breakdown in the senate. The message thread tendered as evidence in Reynolds' defamation claim against Higgins over several social media posts showed Sharaz laughing at reports the then-defence minister had delayed her return to work after being hospitalised with a cardiac condition. "Wow," Higgins said. "She's done. You don't take three weeks and come back," Sharaz replied. The court was later shown a second thread from March 28, 2021, which appeared to show Sharaz and Higgins responding to the impact the political fallout was having on Reynolds and then Prime Minister Scott Morrison. "Suck shit Linda, you awful human," Sharaz wrote.

#21755173 at 2024-10-13 03:47:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 74
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 6
>>21459208 David Sharaz told journalist Samantha Maiden a Morrison government payout would make Brittany Higgins look 'bought off' - David Sharaz told a senior journalist that his now wife Brittany Higgins would not feel comfortable accepting a payout from the Morrison government as it would make her look "bought off", as the scale of Mr Sharaz's involvement in taking Ms Higgins' rape allegations public was laid bare. Hundreds of messages between Mr Sharaz and news.com.au political editor Samantha Maiden were released by the Western Australian Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, after they were tendered as evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation action against Ms Higgins. The almost 10,000 words exchanged between the pair shed new light on the role of Mr Sharaz in bringing Ms Higgins' plight to public attention. Among the cache was a message from Mr Sharaz in January 2021 before Ms Maiden broke the story - in which he described the Morrison government as being in "panic bribery mode", and a February 2021 message soon after Ms Maiden's story was published in which he said "there is ZERO chance she can accept a government payout without looking bought off". Ms Higgins would later accept a $2.445m settlement payment from the Albanese Labor government in December 2022, and Senator Reynolds who has accused Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of freezing her out of that compensation process - has referred the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. Also in February 2021, a week after Maiden was the first to reveal Ms Higgins' story, Mr Sharaz told the reporter that both he and Ms Higgins were "regretting all of this" because "the government seems to have gotten away with it all, and we're both unemployed". Mr Sharaz texted Maiden on February 19: "I can see why PMO hate us. It all looks planned haha".

>>21459213 Psychiatrist's 'vastly different reports' on Brittany Higgins - A psychiatrist prepared "vastly" different reports about the impact of the government's handling of Brittany Higgins' rape claim, just months before she secured a $2.445m commonwealth payout linked to that handling, a court has heard. As it emerged that Linda Reynolds had launched another court action against Ms Higgins – this time over the trust fund the former political staffer established to administer that commonwealth settlement - the Western Australian Supreme Court on Thursday was told that psychiatrist Dr Julio Clavijo prepared two reports on Ms Higgins in early 2022. Martin Bennett, the lawyer representing Linda Reynolds in both her defamation action against Ms Higgins and her action against Ms Higgins' trust, has made an application to have Dr Clavijo give evidence on Wednesday of next week after receiving documents overnight. Those documents, Mr Bennett said, showed that Dr Clavijo produced two significantly different reports about the causes of the mental harm suffered by Ms Higgins. The first of those reports, Mr Bennett said, "would disclose no cause of action against Senator Reynolds" over her handling of Ms Higgins' rape claim. However, only the subsequent report was used in Ms Higgins' settlement claim against the commonwealth. Mr Bennett said the first of the reports was handed to Ms Higgins' lawyers on January 31, 2022, and the second was given to them on February 9. Both reports were marked with the same date of January 5, 2022. "The purpose of asking Dr Clavijo to come is to simply ask him to explain why there are two reports signed by him in his capacity as an expert witness, acknowledging the code of conduct for expert witnesses, both dated the same day ... It's just hard to find a sensible explanation," Mr Bennett said. Mr Bennett said questions needed to be answered as to why the psychiatric reports exist in such "significantly and materially different terms".

#21755169 at 2024-10-13 03:46:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 73
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 5
>>21422113 Secret medical reports fuel doubts for key witness appearance in Reynolds, Higgins row - The exchange of top-secret medical reports has fuelled doubts about whether the woman who served as Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds' chief of staff at the time Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' office will take the stand in the pair's defamation row. Former chief of staff Fiona Brown had been due to give sworn testimony in the West Australian Supreme Court on what unfolded in the days after Higgins' alleged rape by Bruce Lehrmann in the former defence minister's office after a night out on March 23, 2019. But on Friday, Brown's barrister Dominique Hogan-Doran, SC, handed over two top-secret medical certificates and a report to a handful of lawyers and Justice Paul Tottle. The substance of the documents is protected by strict confidentiality orders, but the parties have already alluded to using testimony Brown gave in a separate court matter.
>>21439437 Brittany Higgins won't give evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation trial - Brittany Higgins has pulled out of giving evidence in the defamation action brought against her by Liberal senator Linda Reynolds in a bombshell that could mark an early end to the proceedings. Ms Higgins' barrister Rachael Young SC made the shock announcement in the WA Supreme Court on Monday afternoon, indicating Ms Higgins was suffering from poor health, and saying she does not believe she needs to call Ms Higgins to mount a winning defence. "We don't think we need to call Ms Higgins to satisfy Your Honour to be successful in these proceedings," Ms Young said. The former Liberal staffer had been scheduled to spend a week in the witness box from August 26, and was due to fly to Perth from her home in France. Ms Young submitted three medical reports containing details of the conditions that she argued backed up why Ms Higgins would no longer give testimony. The exact medical reasons for the withdrawal were not specified in open court, and Ms Young applied for an order to protect the details of the reports from being published. Ms Higgins is pregnant, and has also battled issues with her physical and mental health since she went public with her allegation in 2021 that she was raped inside Senator Reynolds' parliamentary office. She was also been hospitalised in Perth earlier this year amid a court-ordered mediation session aimed at resolving the defamation matter. Senator Reynolds' defamation matter is now due to conclude much earlier than anticipated, and could be finished by the beginning of next week.
>>21453311 'She's drafting a plan for you': Maiden gives evidence on breaking Higgins' story - The recording of an interview between Brittany Higgins and the journalist who would break the story about her alleged rape in former defence minister Linda Reynolds' office has laid bare how the young political staffer felt it had rendered her "toxic". Journalist Samantha Maiden was played portions of the hour-long interview with Higgins after being called to give evidence in Reynolds' defamation case against the former staffer. Flanked by three lawyers, Maiden told the court she recalled hosting Higgins at her home for an interview over dinner on January 21, 2021, where Higgins would detail an incident she said had made her a "problem" for her then-boss. In the recording, the former staffer told Maiden she felt like Reynolds "hated her" and branded a meeting they had alongside chief of staff Fiona Brown in April 2019 a "box ticking" exercise. That would be the sole meeting the trio had regarding a security breach, during which Higgins claims she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Reynolds' ministerial suite after a night out on March 23, 2019. Higgins' partner and former press gallery journalist David Sharaz first approached Maiden about the story in January 2021, penning a text message about a "Me Too incident" the Liberal Party had "covered up". "I am letting this be [Higgins'] decision, but she's drafting a plan for you. She wants to do it in an election year," Sharaz wrote. Maiden confirmed Higgins later sent a document referred to as "The Dossier", but rejected that it went by that name at the time and said that was something that "entered the media lexicon" afterwards. The article would be published on news.com.au on February 15, 2021, with Maiden telling the court the timing was dictated by Higgins' desire to have the story drop during a parliamentary sitting week.

#21755164 at 2024-10-13 03:45:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 72
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 4
>>21396390 Brittany Higgins' defamation trial hears evidence of sharp decline in Senator Linda Reynolds' health - Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds's partner has testified her cardiologist thought she could die after she collapsed in the senate following intense pressure over her handling of Brittany Higgins' rape allegation. Robert Reid gave evidence in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Monday during the defamation trial brought by the Senator against her former staffer Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts. Mr Reid told the court of the significant deterioration in his partner's health after the 2019 rape allegation was made public, in an article by journalist Samantha Maiden and in Ms Higgins' interview with Channel 10's The Project on February 15, 2021. Mr Reid recalled receiving a message to come to parliament on March 23, 2021 after Senator Reynolds had collapsed and gone back to her ministerial suite. He said when he saw her, "she looked white, she looked almost dishevelled, it was very painful". On medical advice, they drove to a nearby hospital to have her heart checked, given she had a pre-existing heart condition. "Linda was still crying," Mr Reid said. They saw a cardiologist. "He said 'we might lose her'", Mr Reid said, breaking down in tears. "He said 'this is very serious'." The doctor though, did not admit Senator Reynolds and instead advised sending her home and monitoring her closely.
>>21404272 'Utterly false': Scott Morrison rubbishes Brittany Higgins cover-up claims in explosive testimony - Former prime minister Scott Morrison has vigorously defended West Australian senator Linda Reynolds' handling of Brittany Higgins' rape allegation, rubbishing claims of a political cover-up and saying it was parliamentary process that had failed the former staffer. Giving evidence in Reynolds' defamation case against Higgins on Tuesday via videolink from Sydney, Morrison pored over what unfolded in the days after Higgins' tell-all interview with The Project on February 15, 2021, including what he described as "aggressive" and "co-ordinated" questioning in federal parliament and by the media. Morrison revealed the broadcast was the first he knew of the alleged rape in Reynolds' ministerial suite and conceded he was disappointed the then-defence minister had kept him in the dark. But he said he understood Reynolds' predicament in attempting to balance her obligations to the government while maintaining the promise of confidence she had given Higgins. Morrison told Higgins' lawyer, Rachael Young, SC, that the need to ensure workplace safety at parliament was what had motivated him to order an inquiry, not the growing media attention.
>>21415080 Linda Reynolds' friend describes senator's 'state of distress' after Coalition's 2022 election defeat - One of Linda Reynolds' closest friends has described how the senator broke down after she learned she had failed to secure any shadow ministry roles in the wake of the Coalition's 2022 election defeat. Denita Wawn, chief executive of Canberra-based Master Builders Australia, told the West Australian Supreme Court on Thursday about Senator Reynolds' "heightened state of distress" during a weekend away shortly after the 2022 election. Ms Wawn said the senator's state that weekend was the worst she'd seen since Senator Reynolds was hospitalised soon after Brittany Higgins went public with her allegation that she had been raped by Bruce Lehrmann inside Senator Reynolds' Parliament House office. Ms Wawn has been friends with Senator Reynolds for more than 20 years and is contact with her at least once a week. She said the only time she had only seen Senator Reynolds in a worse state than during that 2022 getaway was in 2021, soon after Ms Higgins first appeared on The Project. Ms Wawn said she and her friends were incredibly concerned with the senator's wellbeing in the aftermath of that program, telling the court she was worried that the senator could die. Senator Reynolds was hospitalised for weeks after the 2021 revelations after the stress of the situation exacerbated a pre-existing heart condition. "She was a mess, I think is the best way to described her both physically and mentally," Ms Wawn said.

#21755162 at 2024-10-13 03:44:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 71
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 3
>>21366136 Video: Linda Reynolds shares anger over Brittany Higgins's pre-production tapes for Channel 10's The Project interview - Liberal MP Linda Reynolds has told the West Australian Supreme Court of the moment she realised the extent of what she claims was a "pre-planned" and "pre-meditated" attack to inflict maximum damage on her by Brittany Higgins and her now husband David Sharaz. But the former defence minister said she never doubted Ms Higgins's allegation she was raped in Senator Reynolds' then-ministerial suite at Parliament House in Canberra in 2019. Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett questioned her in court today about the moment she first heard details about the five-hour pre-interview for The Project involving Ms Higgins, Mr Sharaz and others. Senator Reynolds said she learned about it during the criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who had been accused of raping Ms Higgins. Senator Reynolds said the pre-interview, during which the strategy to make public Ms Higgins rape allegations was discussed, made her realise how much thought had gone into the attack against her. "It became clear how premeditated this plan was," Senator Reynolds said. "I had no idea just how well prepared this plan was. They had a package for the media, they had a package for the Me Too movement, they had a package for disaffected Liberals. "It was pre-planned, it was pre-meditated, it was personal against me. "I was angry, I was hurt, and as I said I felt like a fool."
>>21372143 'He was stitching me up': Reynolds lashes attorney-general on the stand over Higgins settlement - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has accused Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of "stitching her up" during the settlement of former staffer Brittany Higgins' compensation claim, while defending her decision to leak confidential legal letters to the media. During cross-examination in the WA Supreme Court on Thursday, Higgins' lawyer Rachael Young, SC, grilled the former defence minister about her decision to forward three legally sensitive letters to The Australian's Janet Albrechtsen in December 2022. The emails came six months after Reynolds had been named a defendant in Higgins' compensation claim over the mishandling of her alleged rape by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the senator's parliamentary suite in 2019. The senator took issue with the Commonwealth's plan to conduct her defence, forwarding Albrechtsen an email laying bare her concerns about the settlement's handling - including that she was being muzzled. The contents of those email were later republished in an article by The Australian. Young put to Reynolds that she had sent the emails from her personal address to avoid them becoming public - a claim the senator denied. And Higgins' solicitor submitted that Reynolds leaked the letters to Albrechtsen about effectively being muzzled and her dissatisfaction with the process to ensure favourable coverage, a claim she again rejected. "Did I want Ms Albrechtsen to know I had not had the ability to defend claims? Yes, I was incredibly angry because I could see the attorney-general of this country was stitching me up on allegations I had not seen and believed had expired," Reynolds told the court. "I had no expectation of how she would write it, I just provided evidence of corruption, and she could report that as she saw fit."
>>21385847 'I carry the guilt': Reynolds breaks down over airing Kitching warning of political firestorm - WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has broken down on the witness stand, describing her guilt over telling Labor senators that late Victorian senator Kimberley Kitching warned her the party intended to "rain hell" on her over Brittany Higgins' alleged rape, and doubling down on claims the saga led to Kitching's death. On Tuesday, the former defence minister told the Western Australian Supreme Court Kitching's decision to hand an anonymous letter about the alleged rape over to the Australian Federal Police, and not her party, had left Kitching ostracised by her colleagues. And she made national headlines when she made the extraordinary claim the saga led to Kitching's death of a heart attack on March 10, 2022, at the age of 52. Reynolds left the court in tears on Friday after telling Higgins' barrister Rachael Young, SC, that her remarks reflected her guilt at revealing to other politicians that Kitching had tipped her off to the impending political firestorm in 2021, rather than reflected a desire to have her claims aired in the press. "It displays my guilt. If I hadn't revealed it was her... that's what led to her being ostracised. I had kept it in confidence, even after everything. It was my guilt. I shouldn't have weakened and told anyone. Everyone can see how angry she was with me. She was losing weight. But I carry the guilt of telling the senators and ... her being bullied to death."

#21755158 at 2024-10-13 03:43:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 70
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>21339073 Linda Reynolds v Brittany Higgins: Judge won't be swayed by sideshows - "It took only minutes after Linda Reynolds' lawyer, Martin Bennett, produced the memorable line that "every fairytale needs a villain" before the cesspit of social media chewed it up and spat out a revised version. No matter that Bennett had spent most of the morning detailing Reynolds' actual case: that Brittany Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz had concocted a "fictional story of a cover-up" by Reynolds of the young woman's rape allegations. No matter that Bennett reaffirmed Reynolds had never questioned the veracity of Higgins' account of being raped - indeed, had urged that it be immediately reported to police. That would have spoiled the narrative. Instead, "Reynolds' lawyer ?believes that rape is a fairytale!" lit up the twittersphere. Climate 200 founder and teals campaigner Simon Holmes a Court posted that "every day Linda Reynolds pursues Brittany Higgins is another day we're reminded about her government's hostility towards victims of sexual assault". The bid by some of Higgins' supporters to reframe the case as forcing a rape victim to prove her rape will be a recurring theme through the next five weeks of the trial. But inside the courtroom, Higgins' lawyers are confined to a more difficult task: substantiating her claims that Reynolds not only failed to support her after she revealed the assault, but actively ?attempted to cover it up "in the interests of the Liberal Party". Justice Paul Tottle must decide whether Reynolds was defamed, not whether Higgins was raped. He won't be distracted by spurious attempts - inside the court or out - to stray from that task." - Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>21354159 'This is aggravation': Reynolds' lawyer threatens to add fresh post to Higgins' defamation rap sheet - Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of aggravating conduct after she published the cover of a book entitled 'How many more women? how the law silences women' alongside the words "Pertinent reading" as the former defence minister entered the witness box for their defamation trial. Reynolds lawyer Martin Bennett had concluded quizzing the former defence minister on her life and career when he revealed Higgins had posted the image on her Instagram story while his client was on the stand. Bennett told the court he intended to amend the statement of claim in Reynolds' defamation action against Higgins to include the post, arguing its timing and the imputations amounted to aggravation. Reynolds ended her first day of sworn testimony poring over her recollection of a meeting with Higgins in her parliamentary office on April 1, 2019, just over one week after she and colleague Bruce Lehrmann breached security by entering after hours while intoxicated and leaving the suite unlocked.
>>21360269 New Brittany Higgins social media posts prompt defamation trial warning from Linda Reynolds's lawyer - The high-profile defamation trial against Brittany Higgins has taken another twist, with Senator Linda Reynolds's lawyer declaring new social media posts published yesterday were part of a co-ordinated plan to mislead the public into thinking the Senator was trying silence survivors of sexual assault. Lawyer Martin Bennett said the posts, which included an Instagram story from Ms Higgins, had been deliberately timed to coincide with the start of Senator Reynolds's evidence yesterday. In one post, Ms Higgins recommends as "pertinent reading" a book relating to "how the law silences women" and another post is by an advocate for sexual assault survivors, Saxon Mullens, who is fundraising for Ms Higgins' legal costs. Mr Bennett said it was part of a "coordinated plan" to "mischaracterise these proceedings" as an attempt by Senator Reynolds to silence sexual assault survivors, to "mislead the public" about the true nature of the proceedings. Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins, her former staffer, for alleged defamation over social media posts made in 2023 which the Senator says falsely claimed she mishandled Ms Higgins' allegation she was raped in Parliament House in 2019. Mr Bennett has applied for a subpoena to obtain copies of communications between Ms Higgins and Ms Mullens, who was instrumental in changing consent laws in New South Wales.

#21755155 at 2024-10-13 03:43:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 69
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>21281320 'Harassment': Brittany Higgins' defence revealed - Brittany Higgins has doubled down on her attack on former ?defence minister Linda Reynolds, alleging her former boss "engaged in a campaign of harassment" against her, including providing confidential information to the media, newly ?released court documents reveal. Ms Higgins' amended defence to Senator Reynolds' defamation claim, filed in the West Australian Supreme Court, amplifies her allegations that she was the victim of an attempted cover-up, stating she felt under pressure not to make a complaint "in the interests of the Liberal Party" in the lead up to an election. In his judgment in the Lehrmann defamation case this year, judge Michael Lee found, on the balance of probabilities, that Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins, but expressly rejected her claims that Senator Reynolds was involved in a cover-up of the assault. Mr Lehrmann has lodged an appeal. Senator Reynolds is now suing Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts she says defamed her.
>>21338861 Reynolds v Higgins: Trial begins in Linda Reynolds' pursuit of vindication - Huddled around a table in a luxury hotel in Sydney's inner suburbs, former political staffer Brittany Higgins, now-husband David Sharaz and Network Ten journalist Lisa Wilkinson met to strategise the delivery of a bombshell interview that would spark a cultural reckoning. It was January 27, 2021, and Higgins was preparing to detail her alleged raped by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the parliamentary office of Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds and the political cover-up that followed. The tell-all interview on The Project would be broadcast to more than half-a-million people, triggering a political storm that culminated in multiple inquiries, a cultural overhaul, lucrative book deals and a $2.4 million compensation pay out. Over the next five weeks, Reynolds' legal team will take to the WA Supreme Court to argue that it marked the beginning of a campaign to get what she claims Higgins set out to: the destruction of Reynolds' reputation. Reynolds made good on her threat to sue Higgins for defamation over several social media posts accusing her of harassment on July 31, 2023, claiming they damaged her reputation, brought her into public hatred and caused her distress and embarrassment. The former defence minister is expected to spend several days in the witness box outlining the impact of the publications on her reputation and physical health before her high-profile colleagues take the stand, including former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, WA senator Michaelia Cash and Tasmanian senator Wendy Askew. Higgins, who recently revealed she and Sharaz were expecting their first child, will spend up to one week providing evidence.
>>21339036 'Brittany Higgins fairytale needed a villain': Linda Reynolds fights cover-up allegations - Linda Reynolds has used a trove of photographs and text messages to allege Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz deliberately created a plan to falsely portray the Coalition minister as the "villain" who led a cover-up of Ms Higgins' alleged Parliament House rape. The first day of the senator's defamation trial against Ms Higgins saw her lawyer Martin Bennett tender multiple photographs showing Ms Higgins smiling and laughing while out on the campaign trail across Perth just months after she was allegedly raped by then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann. Mr Bennett said the evidence showed how Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz had used falsehoods and lies to create a narrative that Senator Reynolds had led a political cover-up of Ms Higgins' alleged rape. "Every fairytale needs a villain, and in 2020 or 2021, Ms Higgins and her then-partner and now husband, Mr Sharaz, cast Senator Reynolds in that role for their fictional story of a cover-up of the rape," Mr Bennett said. "The fact she had been raped was traumatic and terrible but it needed something more to attract the attention, to attract media ?interest, to attract the promotion of Ms Higgins, so she made it a political sex scandal. That's the fiction that needed a villain and she cast Linda Reynolds in that role."

#21525887 at 2024-09-03 10:23:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21525883

2/2

Reynolds made a shock appearance just before 11am, sitting in the front row of the public gallery before Bennett lambasted Higgins for "arrogantly" trivialising his client's suffering from her new home in France.

He told the court the written evidence Higgins provided was "flaky" and fell "woefully short" of defending what he dubbed an "unprovoked attack underpinned by visceral hatred" laid bare in her pre-interview briefing.

"What was said was the genuine, unguarded, unrehearsed, real, true expression of the moment, of what then took place as part of the planning for premeditated attack that is of central relevance now," Bennett told the court.

"The contents of [Maiden's] article and The Project interview are not referred to in the defence's closing submissions because they are simply indefensible."

Bennett also hit back at claims Reynolds knowingly hosted a meeting with Higgins over the alleged rape in her ministerial office on April 1, 2021, just metres from the couch on which it is said to have occurred.

He told the court it implied a "callousness" antithetical to the character the senator demonstrated on the witness stand.

The former defence minister claims Higgins' social media posts accusing her of mishandling the former staffer's alleged rape in Parliament House by colleague Bruce Lehrmann on March 23, 2019, after a night out are defamatory.

Higgins is defending the action on the basis her posts were true.

Lehrmann has maintained his innocence since the 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, but a Federal Court judgment found, on the balance of probabilities, that he did rape Higgins.

Lehrmann is now appealing this ruling.

Higgins' lawyer said Reynolds targeted the wrong person, attempting to saddle her former staffer with the blame for her ailing health and demotion from the defence portfolio after the political uproar over the alleged rape.

The trial continues.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/underpinned-by-visceral-hatred-higgins-reynolds-lawyers-in-tug-of-war-over-conspiracy-claim-20240903-p5k7gs.html

#21520912 at 2024-09-02 10:45:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Brittany Higgins's lawyer delivers rebuke of senator Linda Reynolds testimony in defamation trial

Andrea Mayes - 2 September 2024

1/2

Senator Linda Reynolds was an unreliable witness who failed to answer questions and whose "gratuitous" and "self-serving" testimony was more like advocacy, court defamation proceedings against her former staffer Brittany Higgins have been told.

The defamation case, which has been heard over the past month in the WA Supreme Court, revolves around a handful of social media posts made by Ms Higgins last year that Senator Reynolds took offence to.

The posts were made four years after the young woman was raped in Senator Reynolds's parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

While he has always denied raping Ms Higgins, he was found to have done so in civil proceedings in the federal court earlier this year.

In a blistering final submission, Ms Higgins's lawyer Rachael Young SC told the court Senator Reynolds did not always believe her former staffer had been raped, contrary to what she had repeatedly claimed.

Senator Reynolds expressed ambivalence about the alleged rape to News Corp journalist Samantha Maiden, directly disavowed it in an interview with Channel 7's Spotlight last year, and her lawyer Martin Bennett also cast doubt in his opening address, Ms Young said.

This included Mr Bennett's assertion that "the imagination of young people" meant the rape could have happened anywhere in the Senator's office, so she was not to know it happened on her couch, and his description of Ms Higgins "seeking a villain in her fairytale story of political cover-up".

Reynolds accused of 'attempt to smear'

Ms Young said Senator Reynolds had tried to cast doubt on Ms Higgins's credibility by raising the issue of Mr Lehrmann buying her a coffee the day after the sexual assault.

"To say, in effect, Ms Higgins received a coffee and was doing something friendly with Mr Lehrmann after the rape ... [was an] ... attempt to smear Ms Higgins by suggesting the rape did not happen," she said.

She said although the court had heard evidence about how Senator Reynolds had suffered in the wake of the rape allegations, "without question, though, the heaviest burden has and will continue to be carried by Ms Higgins".

She said Ms Higgins was "the survivor of a serious crime which has affected every aspect of her life, including serious impacts on her mental health".

Two years later, she said, Ms Higgins bravely spoke out about her ordeal "for an altruistic purpose" and not in order to harass or defame Senator Reynolds.

By doing so, she had achieved lasting reform, Ms Young said.

"The rape of Ms Higgins in Parliament House in March of 2019 has caused her much suffering, but it has also given rise to a profound and lasting impact on the way in which gendered violence and safety issues are addressed in Australian workplaces," she said.

'We say it's harassment'

Senator Reynolds had harassed Ms Higgins, not the other way around, Ms Young said, and this was evident in her conduct.

She disputed the merit of Ms Higgins's $2.4 million Commonwealth compensation payment, despite claiming to be only concerned about the process of how the settlement was reached, Ms Young said.

She leaked details of that settlement to a journalist at The Australian, despite being told it was confidential information, which amounted to harassment, the lawyer told the court.

She then gave an interview to the journalist and continued to leak information, both sensitive and petty to selected journalists, Ms Young said.

This included an email containing personal information about the support Ms Higgins had been provided with and another email revealing her partner Mr Sharaz had left his job at a radio station.

She also questioned the veracity of Ms Higgins's rape allegation in a Channel Seven interview in which she agreed with the assertion that the compensation payout was made "on the basis of a crime that may not have been committed."

"The senator engaged in a course of conduct to disrupt and undermine the credibility and reliability of her former employee," Ms Young said.

"That's why we say it's harassment."

(continued)

#21459213 at 2024-08-22 10:07:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Psychiatrist's 'vastly different reports' on Brittany Higgins

PAUL GARVEY - 22 August 2024

A psychiatrist prepared "vastly" different reports about the impact of the government's handling of Brittany Higgins' rape claim, just months before she secured a $2.445m commonwealth payout linked to that handling, a court has heard.

As it emerged that Linda Reynolds had launched another court action against Ms Higgins - this time over the trust fund the former political staffer established to administer that commonwealth settlement - the Western Australian Supreme Court on Thursday was told that psychiatrist Dr Julio Clavijo prepared two reports on Ms Higgins in early 2022.

Martin Bennett, the lawyer representing Linda Reynolds in both her defamation action against Ms Higgins and her action against Ms Higgins' trust, has made an application to have Dr Clavijo give evidence on Wednesday of next week after receiving documents overnight.

Those documents, Mr Bennett said, showed that Dr Clavijo produced two significantly different reports about the causes of the mental harm suffered by Ms Higgins.

The first of those reports, Mr Bennett said, "would disclose no cause of action against Senator Reynolds" over her handling of Ms Higgins' rape claim.

However, only the subsequent report was used in Ms Higgins' settlement claim against the commonwealth.

Mr Bennett said the first of the reports was handed to Ms Higgins' lawyers on January 31, 2022, and the second was given to them on February 9. Both reports were marked with the same date of January 5, 2022.

"The purpose of asking Dr Clavijo to come is to simply ask him to explain why there are two reports signed by him in his capacity as an expert witness, acknowledging the code of conduct for expert witnesses, both dated the same day ... It's just hard to find a sensible explanation," Mr Bennett said.

Ms Higgins' settlement claim related to the handling of her alleged rape inside Parliament House, rather than the alleged rape itself.

Mr Bennett said questions needed to be answered as to why the psychiatric reports exist in such "significantly and materially different terms".

Ms Higgins' lawyer Rachael Young SC told Justice Paul Tottle that she strongly resisted Mr Bennett's application and said it should be dismissed.

She said the matter was irrelevant to the defamation action, noting that Senator Reynolds could not use documents she only just learned of to justify what Ms Higgins said was the senator's harassment of her in late 2022.

"The plaintiff cannot call in aid documents produced yesterday, to contend that those documents now establish that the plaintiff was entitled to question the circumstances of Ms Higgins' personal injury claim against the commonwealth when the conduct that the plaintiff is answering here is her conduct in leaking confidential communications to a journalist back in December 2022," Ms Young said.

"From a temporal perspective, this is entirely irrelevant."

The revelations came as Senator Reynolds lodged a fresh lawsuit against Ms Higgins over the trust she established to administer the commonwealth payout.

In a writ, Senator Reynolds alleged that Ms Higgins transferred the trustee role to a company - Power Blazers Pty Ltd - co-owned by Ms Higgins and her father in an attempt to defeat or delay any potential creditors.

The claim seeks an order voiding the transfer of the settlement funds into Ms Higgins' trust and a return of the trust monies back to Ms Higgins personally. That would put the funds within reach of creditors including Senator Reynolds.

The senator is suing Ms Higgins and her husband David Sharaz offer social media posts the senator says implied she had mishandled Ms Higgins' rape allegation and had harassed her former staffer.

Federal Court judge Michael Lee found in April that, on the balance of probabilities, Bruce Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegations and is appealing the decision.

The commonwealth payment has long been a bone of contention for Senator Reynolds, who says she was frozen out of the process and was denied by Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus an opportunity to defend the mishandling allegations.

Senator Reynolds has made a complaint to the National Anti-Corruption Commission over the settlement. The NACC is not believed to have taken any action on the senator's complaint to date.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/psychiatrists-vastly-different-reports-on-brittany-higgins/news-story/98e1a459abe4bde64eeeb4fd778db870

#21459208 at 2024-08-22 10:02:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
>>21453311
David Sharaz told journalist Samantha Maiden a Morrison government payout would make Brittany Higgins look 'bought off'

PAUL GARVEY - August 21, 2024

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David Sharaz told a senior journalist that his now wife Brittany Higgins would not feel comfortable accepting a payout from the Morrison government as it would make her look "bought off", as the scale of Mr Sharaz's involvement in taking Ms Higgins' rape allegations public was laid bare.

Hundreds of messages between Mr Sharaz and news.com.au political editor Samantha Maiden were released by the Western Australian Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, after they were tendered as evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation action against Ms Higgins. The almost 10,000 words exchanged between the pair shed new light on the role of Mr Sharaz in bringing Ms Higgins' plight to public attention.

Among the cache was a message from Mr Sharaz in January 2021 - before Ms Maiden broke the story - in which he described the Morrison government as being in "panic bribery mode", and a February 2021 message soon after Ms Maiden's story was published in which he said "there is ZERO chance she can accept a government payout without looking bought off".

Ms Higgins would later accept a $2.445m settlement payment from the Albanese Labor government in December 2022, and Senator Reynolds - who has accused Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of freezing her out of that compensation process - has referred the matter to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

Also in February 2021, a week after Maiden was the first to reveal Ms Higgins' story, Mr Sharaz told the reporter that both he and Ms Higgins were "regretting all of this" because "the government seems to have gotten away with it all, and we're both unemployed".

Mr Sharaz texted Maiden on February 19: "I can see why PMO hate us. It all looks planned haha".

The evidence emerged as Maiden, who won the Gold Walkley in 2022 for breaking the story of Ms Higgins' rape allegations, told the WA Supreme Court of an "inappropriate" message she received from Mr Sharaz soon after she first interviewed Ms Higgins.

That message read: "It's a weird story. Journalism hat on, what a f..king scoop ha ha".

Maiden confirmed she had read that message at the time.

"I do recall receiving that message and I thought it was inappropriate," she said.

The messages also spell out Mr Sharaz's frustrations over the Morrison government's response to Ms Higgins' allegations, and in particular the report from John Kunkel, Scott Morrison's chief of staff, into whether the Prime Minister's office briefed against Ms Higgins.

Mr Sharaz said in those messages that Ms Higgins felt belittled by the Kunkel report and that the Morrison government "got away with it". Maiden appeared to push back, describing the final lines of the report as "very pointed" and describing the idea that they got away with it as "a bizarre interpretation of what happened".

Mr Sharaz, who married Ms Higgins earlier this year, is also being sued for defamation by Senator Reynolds but is not ?defending the action.

The court was played parts of the recording of the first meeting between Ms Higgins and Maiden in January 2021, just over a month before she published the first story airing Ms Higgins' allegation that she was raped by a colleague inside Senator Reynolds' parliamentary office.

In excerpts from the recording, Ms Higgins told Maiden how Senator Reynolds "hated" her and treated her like she was "toxic" after she met with the senator soon after she was allegedly raped by Bruce Lehrmann.

Other correspondence between Ms Higgins and Maiden tendered as evidence documents an enquiry from Maiden asking Ms Higgins if Senator Reynolds should step down.

"If Ms Higgins had said that Linda Reynolds should resign, that would have been a significant story at the time, I wanted to ask her of her opinion," Maiden told the court. "And her opinion was that she didn't think so. She said 'I think she was just following instructions to be honest'."

(continued)

#21453311 at 2024-08-21 09:58:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'She's drafting a plan for you': Maiden gives evidence on breaking Higgins' story

Jesinta Burton - August 21, 2024

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The recording of an interview between Brittany Higgins and the journalist who would break the story about her alleged rape in former defence minister Linda Reynolds' office has laid bare how the young political staffer felt it had rendered her "toxic".

Journalist Samantha Maiden was played portions of the hour-long interview with Higgins after being called to give evidence in Reynolds' defamation case against the former staffer.

Flanked by three lawyers, Maiden told the court she recalled hosting Higgins at her home for an interview over dinner on January 21, 2021, where Higgins would detail an incident she said had made her a "problem" for her then-boss.

In the recording, the former staffer told Maiden she felt like Reynolds "hated her" and branded a meeting they had alongside chief of staff Fiona Brown in April 2019 a "box ticking" exercise.

That would be the sole meeting the trio had regarding a security breach, during which Higgins claims she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Reynolds' ministerial suite after a night out on March 23, 2019.

Lehrmann, whose 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, maintains his innocence.

He is appealing against a separate Federal Court judgment that found the rape allegation to be true on the balance of probabilities.

Higgins, who had only been employed for two weeks when the alleged rape occurred, told Maiden she believed the former defence minister kept her at arm's length out of fear the incident may cost her the portfolio she had "worked her entire life for".

"She was actually quite nice, her [Reynolds] and Fiona I mean, but I didn't feel it was a fair conversation on the basis I had been terrified since, and I was very new," Higgins told Maiden in the recording.

"She didn't know me or like me really … I was just a problem for her.

"She avoided being in photos with me. I was toxic to her. She hated me, and she still does to this day."

But Higgins told Maiden the substance of what was said at that meeting was "a blur" she could "barely recall" because she was distracted by being within metres of the couch she was allegedly assaulted on.

Higgins went on to explain how the support she received was limited to receiving a brochure for an employee counselling service with a month-long waiting list and that she was given the option of returning home, staying in Canberra or travelling to Perth to campaign alongside Reynolds ahead of the 2019 election.

Despite having sighted a security report stating Higgins had been found partially undressed in her office, Reynolds testified that there was no allegation a sexual assault had occurred at the time of the meeting and that she would not have hosted it there if she had known.

Higgins' partner and former press gallery journalist David Sharaz first approached Maiden about the story in January 2021, penning a text message about a "Me Too incident" the Liberal Party had "covered up".

"I am letting this be [Higgins'] decision, but she's drafting a plan for you. She wants to do it in an election year," Sharaz wrote.

Maiden confirmed Higgins later sent a document referred to as "The Dossier", but rejected that it went by that name at the time and said that was something that "entered the media lexicon" afterwards.

The article would be published on news.com.au on February 15, 2021, with Maiden telling the court the timing was dictated by Higgins' desire to have the story drop during a parliamentary sitting week.

Higgins' tell-all interview with journalist Lisa Wilkinson for The Project was aired later that evening.

(continued)

#21439437 at 2024-08-19 10:33:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Brittany Higgins won't give evidence in Linda Reynolds' defamation trial

PAUL GARVEY and ELLIE DUDLEY - 19 August 2024

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Brittany Higgins has pulled out of giving evidence in the defamation action brought against her by Liberal senator Linda Reynolds in a bombshell that could mark an early end to the proceedings.

Ms Higgins' barrister Rachael Young SC made the shock announcement in the WA Supreme Court on Monday afternoon, indicating Ms Higgins was suffering from poor health, and saying she does not believe she needs to call Ms Higgins to mount a winning defence.

"We don't think we need to call Ms Higgins to satisfy Your Honour to be successful in these proceedings," Ms Young said.

The former Liberal staffer had been scheduled to spend a week in the witness box from August 26, and was due to fly to Perth from her home in France.

Ms Young submitted three medical reports containing details of the conditions that she argued backed up why Ms Higgins would no longer give testimony.

The exact medical reasons for the withdrawal were not specified in open court, and Ms Young applied for an order to protect the details of the reports from being published.

Ms Higgins is pregnant, and has also battled issues with her physical and mental health since she went public with her allegation in 2021 that she was raped inside Senator Reynolds' parliamentary office. She was also been hospitalised in Perth earlier this year amid a court-ordered mediation session aimed at resolving the defamation matter.

Senator Reynolds' defamation matter is now due to conclude much earlier than anticipated, and could be finished by the beginning of next week.

Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett told reporters outside court on Monday afternoon he would be closely examining Ms Higgins' medical reports.

He referenced a speech Ms Higgins gave on the steps of the ACT Supreme Court after former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold chose not to re-try Bruce Lehrmann in the wake of his aborted rape trial.

"Ms Higgins came out immediately and said she could face a civil trial," Mr Bennett said. "She gave evidence before Justice Lee for five days. I need to go and look at this."

Mr Bennett said Senator Reynolds simply "wants the truth established/adjudicated by a judge".

"She can't raise it under parliamentary privilege in parliament, because there's no way in which you can test what she says against what Ms Higgins says," he said.

"She was denied the opportunity in the civil (compensation) claim to test what Ms Higgins claims was her treatment. This was to be it. Her word against Higgins'. Now Higgins isn't coming."

Mr Bennett told reporters Ms Higgins and her husband, David Sharaz, are still in France. They were last pictured earlier this month in Paris signing affidavits at the Australian embassy.

(continued)

#21422113 at 2024-08-16 13:57:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Secret medical reports fuel doubts for key witness appearance in Reynolds, Higgins row

Jesinta Burton - August 16, 2024

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The exchange of top-secret medical reports has fuelled doubts about whether the woman who served as Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds' chief of staff at the time Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' office will take the stand in the pair's defamation row.

Former chief of staff Fiona Brown had been due to give sworn testimony in the West Australian Supreme Court on what unfolded in the days after Higgins' alleged rape by Bruce Lehrmann in the former defence minister's office after a night out on March 23, 2019.

But on Friday, Brown's barrister Dominique Hogan-Doran, SC, handed over two top-secret medical certificates and a report to a handful of lawyers and Justice Paul Tottle.

The substance of the documents is protected by strict confidentiality orders, but the parties have already alluded to using testimony Brown gave in a separate court matter.

Higgins went public with her rape allegation and claimed it had been the subject of a political cover-up on February 15, 2021 in interviews with journalist Samantha Maiden and The Project.

Lehrmann denies the claim and his 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct. He is appealing a Federal Court judgment that found the rape allegation to be true on the balance of probabilities.

Both Reynolds and Brown found themselves in the firing line over their handling of the allegation, being grilled about what they knew and when as the political furore grew.

On Thursday, the court was told about how Reynolds and Brown were at odds over whether to take the security breach, in which Higgins was found in a state of undress, to police, with Brown adamant they shouldn't without Higgins' permission.

Reynolds has been pursuing Higgins for more than a year over a series of social media posts she claims accused her of mishandling the rape allegation and attempting to silence victims of sexual assault.

The 29-year-old is defending the claim on the basis the substance of the posts is true, and that Reynolds is using the media to harass her.

It comes as Tasmanian Senator Wendy Askew took the stand on Friday to tell of the toll the scandal over Higgins' alleged rape took on Reynolds over the past three years, recalling periods of absence and "great distress".

Askew told the court she sat behind Reynolds in parliamentary chambers in February 2021 when the former defence minister began fielding questions from the Labor Party about the handling of the alleged incident.

"I was very conscious of the questions being asked relentlessly of her, and especially the mannerisms across the chamber … which were just heartless," Askew told the court.

(continued)

#21415080 at 2024-08-15 09:48:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Linda Reynolds' friend describes senator's 'state of distress' after Coalition's 2022 election defeat

PAUL GARVEY - 15 August 2024

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One of Linda Reynolds' closest friends has described how the senator broke down after she learned she had failed to secure any shadow ministry roles in the wake of the Coalition's 2022 election defeat.

Denita Wawn, chief executive of Canberra-based Master Builders Australia, told the West Australian Supreme Court on Thursday about Senator Reynolds' "heightened state of distress" during a weekend away shortly after the 2022 election.

Ms Wawn said the senator's state that weekend was the worst she'd seen since Senator Reynolds was hospitalised soon after Brittany Higgins went public with her allegation that she had been raped by Bruce Lehrmann inside Senator Reynolds' Parliament House office.

"My recollection is she was very upset that she had not been made a shadow minister, or even a junior shadow minister, which in effect had stopped her ministerial career," Ms Wawn said.

Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins and her husband David Sharaz offer social media posts the senator says implied she had mishandled Ms Higgins' rape allegation and had harassed her former staffer.

Federal Court judge Michael Lee found in April that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegations and is appealing the decision.

Ms Wawn has been friends with Senator Reynolds for more than 20 years and is contact with her at least once a week.

She said the only time she had only seen Senator Reynolds in a worse state than during that 2022 getaway was in 2021, soon after Ms Higgins first appeared on The Project.

Ms Wawn said she and her friends were incredibly concerned with the senator's wellbeing in the aftermath of that program, telling the court she was worried that the senator could die.

Senator Reynolds was hospitalised for weeks after the 2021 revelations after the stress of the situation exacerbated a pre-existing heart condition.

"She was a mess, I think is the best way to described her both physically and mentally," Ms Wawn said.

"Physically she was shaking, she was pale, she looked weak. Mentally she was at a high state of distress, she was looping and being triggered by any little thing."

Asked what she meant by 'looping', Ms Wawn said Senator Reynolds was "constantly repeating lines" as she tried to rationalise Ms Higgins' allegations that the senator had mishandled her allegations.

Ms Wawn was also closely involved in Senator Reynolds' 2021 settlement with Ms Higgins over the senator's description of her former staffer as a "lying cow". That remark, made by the senator in front of her staff as they watched Ms Higgins' appearance on The Project, was revealed by The Australian and prompted Ms Higgins to threaten Senator Reynolds with a defamation action.

They ended up settling the dispute after Senator Reynolds formally apologised and donated $10,000 to a Canberra women's crisis centre.

(continued)

#21404275 at 2024-08-13 09:46:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21404272

2/2

Morrison also used his evidence to shut down claims of any plan to cover up the alleged rape.

And he recalled watching Reynolds, his friend of more than two decades, suffer a public breakdown in parliament after several days of questioning and his fear her cardiac issues might prove fatal.

"[The questioning] was intended to discredit her," he told the court.

"It was the weaponising of this issue for political purposes to discredit her and the government and, by extension, myself, and it was causing her distress and anguish.

"Claims the government was involved in a cover-up of this issue [were] completely and utterly false, without any foundation."

He said he himself didn't emerge unscathed, saying for weeks he was subjected to a barrage of questions levelled by the Labor Party and the media that appeared "strangely co-ordinated".

The claims back an important pillar of Reynolds' claim against her former staffer: that she was the victim of a "premeditated" attack levelled by Higgins and Higgins' now-husband, David Sharaz.

Morrison's evidence comes as Reynolds' five-week defamation trial against Higgins enters its second week, with former foreign minister Marise Payne and several staffers expected to take the witness box in the coming days.

It has been more than a year since the former defence minister commenced suing Higgins for damages and aggravated damages over a series of social media posts in which she claims Higgins defamed her, brought her into public hatred and caused her embarrassment and distress.

Higgins is defending the action on the basis the substance of her posts were true, that Reynolds mishandled allegations she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann following a night out, and used the media to harass her.

Lehrmann has maintained his innocence since the 2022 criminal trial against him was aborted due to juror misconduct.

But Lehrmann's failed defamation action against Network Ten over Higgins' The Project interview resulted in Federal Court Justice Michael Lee finding the rape allegation to be true on the balance of probabilities.

Lee also found there to be no evidence to support allegations of a political cover-up.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/utterly-false-scott-morrison-rubbishes-brittany-higgins-cover-up-claims-in-explosive-testimony-20240813-p5k20k.html

#21396390 at 2024-08-12 11:28:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Brittany Higgins' defamation trial hears evidence of sharp decline in Senator Linda Reynolds' health

Nicolas Perpitch - 12 August 2024

Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds's partner has testified her cardiologist thought she could die after she collapsed in the senate following intense pressure over her handling of Brittany Higgins' rape allegation.

Robert Reid gave evidence in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Monday during the defamation trial brought by the Senator against her former staffer Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts.

Mr Reid told the court of the significant deterioration in his partner's health after the 2019 rape allegation was made public, in an article by journalist Samantha Maiden and in Ms Higgins' interview with Channel 10's The Project on February 15, 2021.

Senator Reynolds maintains both pieces contained "false allegations" and "lies" by Ms Higgins about her handling of the alleged sexual assault, in Senator Reynolds's ministerial suite at parliament house.

In the days after the news broke, Senator Reynolds faced continuous questioning by Labor senators in question time.

Senator portrayed as 'villain'

Her lawyer Martin Bennett has told the defamation trial she was portrayed nationally as the "villain" in the story.

Mr Reid recalled receiving a message to come to parliament on March 23, 2021 after Senator Reynolds had collapsed and gone back to her ministerial suite.

He said when he saw her, "she looked white, she looked almost dishevelled, it was very painful".

On medical advice, they drove to a nearby hospital to have her heart checked, given she had a pre-existing heart condition.

"Linda was still crying," Mr Reid said.

They saw a cardiologist.

"He said 'we might lose her'", Mr Reid said, breaking down in tears.

"He said 'this is very serious'."

The doctor though, did not admit Senator Reynolds and instead advised sending her home and monitoring her closely.

'Linda felt stupid'

Her speech to the National Press Club the next day was cancelled, and she went on leave for three weeks.

Mr Reid said watching the interview on The Project had been a major shock.

"Linda felt stupid at that point," he said.

"She had been trying to do the right thing by Brittany, not telling anyone … and here was a plan to bring her down, and potentially to bring Scott Morrison and the government down.

"It was a hit on Linda.

"She told me she could not understand why the hatred."

A central plank of Senator Reynolds' argument in the defamation trial is that Ms Higgins and her now husband David Sharaz had formulated a plan to publicly reveal her rape allegation "as a weapon to inflict immediate damage upon (Senator Reynolds) and the then government".

Her legal team claims Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz acted with malice and caused her not only severe reputational damage, but also caused her to suffer distress and embarrassment.

Ms Higgins claims Senator Reynolds mishandled the rape allegation and failed to properly support her in the aftermath.

Bruce Lehrmann was charged with Ms Higgins's rape, but his criminal trial was abandoned due to juror misconduct and no findings were made against him. He has always maintained his innocence.

He was found to have raped Ms Higgins on the balance of probabilities in a separate civil trial. He is appealing that finding.

The trial is due to continue until early September, with Ms Higgins expected to give evidence in the last week of August.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-12/linda-reynolds-brittany-higgins-david-sharaz-defamation-trial/104213042

#21385850 at 2024-08-10 15:22:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21385847

2/2

For the past year, Reynolds has been pursuing Higgins for damages as well as aggravated damages over several social media posts in which she claims she was accused of using the media to harass her former staffer.

Higgins is defending the claim on the basis the imputations of harassment and the mishandling of her alleged rape are true.

Earlier, Reynolds vigorously denied she was trying to diminish what she knew in the days after Higgins was allegedly raped by Bruce Lehrmann while giving incorrect evidence at his criminal trial.

Lehrmann has maintained his innocence since his criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.

Young grilled Reynolds about telling the ACT Supreme Court the first she learned that security guards had reported seeing Higgins in her parliamentary suite partially undressed and that there was an order that it be cleaned was via Higgins' tell-all interviews.

Reynolds told the court she now knew that sworn testimony to be incorrect, with both matters documented in a report she received in the days after the security breach.

But she rejected any assertion she was trying to diminish what she knew because it would have proven she knew something untoward or criminal had occurred.

She also denied knowing the alleged sexual assault had occurred before holding a meeting with the then-24-year-old in her parliamentary suite on April 1, 2019, just metres from the couch on which the alleged rape occurred.

"You knew Ms Higgins had told [chief of staff] Fiona Brown she remembered Lehrmann being on top of her, you knew she was barely lucid. You knew she wanted to visit a doctor," Young put to Reynolds.

"I cannot recall exact words, but I can recall she did say there was some form of physical contact, and that she couldn't remember much and that she wanted to go to the doctor. We're not counsellors," Reynolds told the court.

"Ms Brown asked [Higgins] if anything she didn't want to happen had happened, and she said no."

As her employer, Reynolds rejected the assertion she shouldered sole responsibility for Higgins' welfare.

Young has sought to obtain the confidential deeds of settlement in four of Reynolds' defamation actions, including with the ACT government, publisher Harper Collins and two media companies.

Reynolds' long-time partner Robert Reid is expected to take the stand in the five-week defamation trial on Monday before former prime minister Scott Morrison.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/i-carry-the-guilt-reynolds-breaks-down-over-airing-kitching-warning-of-political-firestorm-20240809-p5k125.html

#21372143 at 2024-08-08 11:37:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'He was stitching me up': Reynolds lashes attorney-general on the stand over Higgins settlement

Jesinta Burton - August 8, 2024

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Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has accused Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus of "stitching her up" during the settlement of former staffer Brittany Higgins' compensation claim, while defending her decision to leak confidential legal letters to the media.

During cross-examination in the WA Supreme Court on Thursday, Higgins' lawyer Rachael Young, SC, grilled the former defence minister about her decision to forward three legally sensitive letters to The Australian's Janet Albrechtsen in December 2022.

The emails came six months after Reynolds had been named a defendant in Higgins' compensation claim over the mishandling of her alleged rape by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the senator's parliamentary suite in 2019.

Lehrmann has maintained his innocence since his criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct in 2022.

The senator took issue with the Commonwealth's plan to conduct her defence, forwarding Albrechtsen an email laying bare her concerns about the settlement's handling - including that she was being muzzled.

The contents of those email were later republished in an article by The Australian.

Young put to Reynolds that she had sent the emails from her personal address to avoid them becoming public - a claim the senator denied.

And Higgins' solicitor submitted that Reynolds leaked the letters to Albrechtsen about effectively being muzzled and her dissatisfaction with the process to ensure favourable coverage, a claim she again rejected.

"Did I want Ms Albrechtsen to know I had not had the ability to defend claims? Yes, I was incredibly angry because I could see the attorney-general of this country was stitching me up on allegations I had not seen and believed had expired," Reynolds told the court.

"I had no expectation of how she would write it, I just provided evidence of corruption, and she could report that as she saw fit."

When asked whether she believed leaking the emails would be taken as a breach of the confidentiality requirement, Reynolds told the court she had never consented to the government taking over her defence.

"They may well have never wanted it to see the light of day," Reynolds said under oath.

In publicly challenging the process for the settlement with Higgins, Young told the court Reynolds ought to have known it would cast doubt over whether she should have received it.

But Reynolds reiterated she did not take issue with Ms Higgins' pursuit of compensation over the ordeal, but rather how she believed the law had been manipulated to "muzzle her" and "government corruption".

"You wanted it publicly known as to your truth about the handling of the rape allegation. You wanted Higgins to be publicly questioned about her version of events," Young put to Reynolds.

"It wasn't my truth, it was the truth. I wanted to do that at the mediation behind closed doors, but I was not afforded that opportunity. I never wanted to be in the position of having to defend things here," Reynolds responded.

(continued)

#21366136 at 2024-08-07 10:51:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
Linda Reynolds shares anger over Brittany Higgins's pre-production tapes for Channel 10's The Project interview

Nicolas Perpitch - 7 August 2024

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Liberal MP Linda Reynolds has told the West Australian Supreme Court of the moment she realised the extent of what she claims was a "pre-planned" and "pre-meditated" attack to inflict maximum damage on her by Brittany Higgins and her now husband David Sharaz.

But the former defence minister said she never doubted Ms Higgins's allegation she was raped in Senator Reynolds' then-ministerial suite at Parliament House in Canberra in 2019.

Ms Higgins had settled with the Commonwealth for $2.445 million in December 2022 over the handling of those allegations.

The settlement came after print stories and a television interview on Channel 10's The Project with Ms Higgins, which Senator Reynolds claims contained false assertions by Ms Higgins that she had seriously mishandled the rape allegation and failed to support her.

Senator Reynolds is now suing her former staffer over social media posts Ms Higgins later made, which she claims have defamed her.

'It was personal'

Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett questioned her in court today about the moment she first heard details about the five-hour pre-interview for The Project involving Ms Higgins, Mr Sharaz and others.

Senator Reynolds said she learned about it during the criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who had been accused of raping Ms Higgins.

The trial was abandoned due to juror misconduct and no findings were made against Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Lehrmann was later found in a separate civil trial to have raped Ms Higgins on the balance of probabilities. He is appealing that decision.

Senator Reynolds said the pre-interview, during which the strategy to make public Ms Higgins rape allegations was discussed, made her realise how much thought had gone into the attack against her.

"It became clear how premeditated this plan was," Senator Reynolds said.

"I had no idea just how well prepared this plan was. They had a package for the media, they had a package for the Me Too movement, they had a package for disaffected Liberals.

"It was pre-planned, it was pre-meditated, it was personal against me.

"I was angry, I was hurt, and as I said I felt like a fool."

'I believe her'

When asked about her reaction to Ms Higgins' interview which aired on The Project, the MP acknowledged saying the words "lying cow" while watching the program.

The comment was leaked to the media, and Senator Reynolds settled with Ms Higgins out of court on the matter.

Senator Reynolds said she settled not only to try and keep her job as a minister but also for her health, which she said had deteriorated badly as a result of the relentless pressure on her over her handling of the rape allegations.

(continued)

#21354159 at 2024-08-05 11:54:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'This is aggravation': Reynolds' lawyer threatens to add fresh post to Higgins' defamation rap sheet

Jesinta Burton - August 5, 2024

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Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds' lawyer has accused Brittany Higgins of aggravating conduct after she published the cover of a book entitled 'How many more women? how the law silences women' alongside the words "Pertinent reading" as the former defence minister entered the witness box for their defamation trial.

Reynolds lawyer Martin Bennett had concluded quizzing the former defence minister on her life and career when he revealed Higgins had posted the image on her Instagram story while his client was on the stand.

Bennett told the court he intended to amend the statement of claim in Reynolds' defamation action against Higgins to include the post, arguing its timing and the imputations amounted to aggravation.

Reynolds ended her first day of sworn testimony poring over her recollection of a meeting with Higgins in her parliamentary office on April 1, 2019, just over one week after she and colleague Bruce Lehrmann breached security by entering after hours while intoxicated and leaving the suite unlocked.

What transpired during that meeting and in the months that followed now underpins Higgins' claim that her former boss mishandled what was actually a sexual assault - and now her truth defence.

Higgins later revealed she spent that meeting sitting just metres from the couch on which she was allegedly raped by Lehrmann, a claim Lehrmann has long denied.

Reynolds told the court she recalled being frustrated and angry because she had not been advised of the security breach until several days after it occurred.

Despite being told Higgins had been discovered by security guards in a state of undress, Reynolds claimed there was no allegation of sexual assault yet urged Higgins to go to the Australian Federal Police and seek counselling over what she described as "hazy" memories.

"We talked about the security incident, and she was embarrassed and mortified. I told her her job was safe, but to learn from the incident and that it couldn't happen again," Reynolds told the court.

"I told her that if she wanted to go to the AFP, make a complaint or get somebody to help her remember things further, that Fiona and I would be there for her… and she thanked me.

"I think she was grateful she was keeping her job, but she deserved a second chance."

Reynolds also defended herself against criticism about the eight days that lapsed between the alleged rape and her first formal meeting with Higgins, with her diary showing she was interstate for six of them.

The testimony came after Higgins' lawyer cast doubt over the impact of the three social media posts publications Reynolds had spent the past year pursuing damages for, telling the court her reputation was already 'baked in'.

Higgins' counsel Rachael Young SC told the court any damages Higgins should have to pay should consider Reynolds' public standing when the posts were published, two years after the tell-all interview that saw the former minister in the firing line over her handling of the alleged rape.

The lawyer told the court any potential payout should be moderated by the fact such criticism was "part and parcel" of being a politician, and implied any damages would not be "worth the candle" of a five-week defamation trial.

(continued)

#21339036 at 2024-08-02 15:31:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21338861
'Brittany Higgins fairytale needed a villain': Linda Reynolds fights cover-up allegations

PAUL GARVEY - 2 August 2024

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Linda Reynolds has used a trove of photographs and text messages to allege Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz deliberately created a plan to falsely portray the Coalition minister as the "villain" who led a cover-up of Ms Higgins' alleged Parliament House rape.

The first day of the senator's defamation trial against Ms Higgins saw her lawyer Martin Bennett tender multiple photographs showing Ms Higgins smiling and laughing while out on the campaign trail across Perth just months after she was allegedly raped by then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

Mr Bennett said the evidence showed how Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz had used falsehoods and lies to create a narrative that Senator Reynolds had led a political cover-up of Ms Higgins' alleged rape.

"Every fairytale needs a villain, and in 2020 or 2021, Ms Higgins and her then-partner and now husband, Mr Sharaz, cast Senator Reynolds in that role for their fictional story of a cover-up of the rape," Mr Bennett said. "The fact she had been raped was traumatic and terrible but it needed something more to attract the attention, to attract media ?interest, to attract the promotion of Ms Higgins, so she made it a political sex scandal. That's the fiction that needed a villain and she cast Linda Reynolds in that role."

Mr Bennett said the images and text messages showed that the $2.445m settlement secured from the commonwealth by Ms Higgins was built on a falsity that Senator Reynolds had been given no opportunity to correct. He said the outcome of the confidential mediation between Ms Higgins and the federal government - which was leaked to the media "before the ink was dry" - would have caused the public to believe Ms Higgins' claims that the senator had harassed her and isolated her in the wake of her ?alleged rape.

"Any person in Australia reading this would automatically think that the allegations made by Ms Higgins were so true, so damning, so correct in their allegations against Senator Reynolds that the commonwealth paid $2.445m on a single instance of mediation for proceedings not yet filed," Mr Bennett said.

"And because the commonwealth took over the conduct of Senator Reynolds' defence of this claim, but denied her the deed, she was bound by that aspersion."

The settlement was based in part on a claim by Ms Higgins that she had been ostracised by Senator Reynolds in the wake of the alleged rape, with the settlement stating that she was sent to work in Perth on the senator's re-election campaign and "was required to work mostly on her own in a hotel room seven days a week for six weeks". During that time, the claim said, her mental health deteriorated.

But Mr Bennett read out multiple text messages sent by Ms Higgins to her boyfriend at the time, Ben Dillaway, in which she detailed her time working and socialising in and around Perth during the campaign.

The messages described how she spent her time doorknocking and attending campaign events, community forums and dinners during her weeks there.

"Been out and about doing ground level campaigning. It's been pretty fun actually," she wrote in one of several messages to Mr Dillaway read out in court.

"My day has been awesome, mostly spent poolside," read ?another.

Mr Bennett also tendered a ?series of photos showing a smiling Ms Higgins with politicians including Senator Reynolds and then-prime minister Scott Morrison during the campaign.

Ms Higgins also attended a birthday dinner thrown by Senator Reynolds just before the election, as well as a post-election debrief with champagne at the senator's home the day after the poll.

"There is event after event after event," Mr Bennett said, saying it was "palpably false" to suggest that Senator Reynolds had cast her out and isolated her.

(continued)

#21338861 at 2024-08-02 15:03:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>21281320
Reynolds v Higgins: Trial begins in Linda Reynolds' pursuit of vindication

Jesinta Burton - August 2, 2024

1/2

Huddled around a table in a luxury hotel in Sydney's inner suburbs, former political staffer Brittany Higgins, now-husband David Sharaz and Network Ten journalist Lisa Wilkinson met to strategise the delivery of a bombshell interview that would spark a cultural reckoning.

It was January 27, 2021, and Higgins was preparing to detail her alleged raped by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the parliamentary office of Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds and the political cover-up that followed.

"I asked Britt 'ultimately, what do you want out of this?'," Sharaz says.

"And she goes 'well, I want Bruce to forever have it difficult getting a job, like it's going to be difficult for me'.

"And then you [Higgins] said, best-case scenario, Linda Reynolds."

The tell-all interview on The Project would be broadcast to more than half-a-million people, triggering a political storm that culminated in multiple inquiries, a cultural overhaul, lucrative book deals and a $2.4 million compensation pay out.

The criminal trial against Lehrmann - who has long maintained his innocence - would be aborted in 2022 due to juror misconduct and a string of high-profile defamation actions would ensue, one of which would find the rape allegation to be true on the balance of probabilities (a judgment Lehrmann is appealing).

As the pair's former boss, Reynolds would find herself in the firing line over the then-government's handling of Higgins' rape allegation, grilled about what she knew and when and her conduct.

And over the next five weeks, Reynolds' legal team will take to the WA Supreme Court to argue that it marked the beginning of a campaign to get what she claims Higgins set out to: the destruction of Reynolds' reputation.

Reynolds made good on her threat to sue Higgins for defamation over several social media posts accusing her of harassment on July 31, 2023, claiming they damaged her reputation, brought her into public hatred and caused her distress and embarrassment.

The former defence minister was already locked in an almost identical defamation row with Sharaz, who bowed out after declaring he did not have the financial means to take it to trial and imploring Reynolds to "let Brittany heal".

According to court documents filed by Reynolds' legal team, the posts implied the former minister had engaged in misconduct, inadequately supported Higgins and wanted to silence victims of sexual assault.

Higgins has fiercely defended the action on the basis her posts were substantially true, insisting Reynolds mishandled her rape complaint and weaponised the media to pursue a campaign against her, including by leaking confidential government emails to journalists.

Reynolds has defended her right to deal with the media and rejected the harassment allegation.

(continued)

#21281320 at 2024-07-24 10:21:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

>>20895231 (pb)
'Harassment': Brittany Higgins' defence revealed

STEPHEN RICE - 23 July 2024

Brittany Higgins has doubled down on her attack on former ?defence minister Linda Reynolds, alleging her former boss "engaged in a campaign of harassment" against her, including providing confidential information to the media, newly ?released court documents reveal.

Ms Higgins' amended defence to Senator Reynolds' defamation claim, filed in the West Australian Supreme Court, amplifies her allegations that she was the victim of an attempted cover-up, stating she felt under pressure not to make a complaint "in the interests of the Liberal Party" in the lead up to an election.

In his judgment in the Lehrmann defamation case this year, judge Michael Lee found, on the balance of probabilities, that Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins, but expressly rejected her claims that Senator Reynolds was involved in a cover-up of the assault. Mr Lehrmann has lodged an appeal.

Senator Reynolds is now suing Ms Higgins over a series of social media posts she says defamed her.

In her statement of claim Senator Reynolds said the posts were published to further a plan by Ms Higgins and her now-husband David Sharaz to use the allegations that Senator Reynolds had been involved in a political cover-up as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage on her.

Senator Reynolds has added a new pleading of tortious conspiracy to her defamation claim. Anthony Albanese's closest confidantes, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong, were drip-fed false information by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz as part of a larger plan to destroy Senator Reynolds' career and take down the Morrison government, the senator alleged.

Mr Sharaz also organised meetings between Ms Higgins and Labor MPs to discuss her rape allegations, the documents say, including then opposition leader Mr Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, as well as former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd.

However, Ms Higgins does not address dozens of pages of particulars provided by Senator Reynolds, simply stating that she "denies the allegations". Ms Higgins claims in her amended defence that Senator Reynolds "mishandled the aftermath of the incident" and failed to support her.

She claims Senator Reynolds sought to dissuade her from speaking further with her about the ?alleged assault "by telling her she was not the right person to be talking to about it"; had minimised the incident by telling her "that this is something women go through"; and had then referred to the upcoming election.

Senator Reynolds had "placed pressure" on her, Ms Higgins said, by asking her whether she was going to report the matter to police, and saying if she was, she should let the minister know.

In a seemingly contradictory claim, Ms Higgins points out that Senator Reynolds had also asked her chief of staff Fiona Brown to report the incident to the Australian Federal Police without asking Ms Higgins if she wanted to.

(continued)

#21252129 at 2024-07-20 14:28:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 71
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Linda Reynolds Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>21042324 Former PM Scott Morrison prepared to take witness stand in Reynolds, Higgins row - Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been named among the high-profile witnesses prepared to climb into the witness box in WA Senator Linda Reynolds' high-stakes defamation trial against former staffer Brittany Higgins. Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett told the WA Supreme Court Morrison had filed and signed a witness outline on Tuesday, as the parties gathered to finalise the exchange of documents before the trial in late July. The court was told the bundle of evidence adduced by Reynolds' legal team would also contain sworn testimony from WA Senator Michaelia Cash, Cash's former chief of staff, and medical professionals who would attest to the toll the saga had taken on Reynolds' health. The court has previously been told Channel 10, journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, and Senator Katy Gallagher had been hit with subpoenas to provide evidence for both cases. Outside court, Bennett told the waiting press pack Morrison was expected to be overseas at the time of the trial, but was prepared to give evidence remotely if required.
>>21171764 The Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz 'strategy' to burn down the House - Anthony Albanese's closest confidantes, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong, were drip-fed false information by David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins as part of a larger plan to destroy the career of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds and take down the Morrison government, explosive court documents allege. Mr Sharaz also organised meetings between Ms Higgins and Labor members of parliament to discuss her rape allegations, the documents say, including then opposition leader Mr Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, as well as former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd. The extraordinary claims form part of Senator Reynolds' case against Ms Higgins in the Western Australian Supreme Court, where she is suing her former employee over a series of social media posts she says defamed her. Senator Reynolds claims the Instagram, Twitter and Threads posts falsely alleged she had "harassed" Ms Higgins, and mishandled the allegations of rape against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann by failing to provide her with any support. The case is set down for trial on August 2, following multiple failed mediation talks.
>>21171776 'The Plan' Brittany Higgins' lawyers didn't want us to see - "This is the statement of claim that lawyers for Brittany Higgins didn't want us at The Australian to see. They didn't want us to report it, to analyse what Linda Reynolds set out in her defamation claim against Higgins in the West Australian Supreme Court. Fear not. We're fighting objections by the Higgins team to us ?accessing all the documents filed in this litigation. I filed further submissions with the WA Supreme Court on Monday. The wheels of justice move slowly - court orders are currently not due until the end of this month. In the meantime, my intrepid colleague Ellie Dudley got hold of a copy of the statement of claim current as at June 4. No wonder the Higgins team tried to block us from seeing it. It is an extraordinary read. For the first time in one document are allegations of what Reynolds calls "the Plan" - a carefully orchestrated, pre-meditated political hit job where Higgins and Sharaz used allegations of a rape and a political cover-up "as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage" on Reynolds and the then government of the day." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au

#21252120 at 2024-07-20 14:22:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #37: EVERYTHING IS AT STAKE Edition

#36 - Part 70
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>20895231 'Heading for trial': Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins mediation talks break down - Senator Linda Reynolds has told the Albanese government it must accept that it paid $2.45m to Brittany Higgins based on claims identified as untrue in the civil court judgment that also found Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House in 2019. Senator Reynolds made the comments outside court on Tuesday as she pressed on her with her defamation case against Ms Higgins, her former media adviser, and Ms Higgins' partner David Sharaz. She is suing them over social media posts from 2022 and 2023. In court, Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett has previously described those posts as attacks on Senator Reynolds and as a "concerted plan". A long day of mediation to avoid a trial failed in March. A second attempt at mediation on Tuesday also failed after three hours. Senator Reynolds emerged from the David Malcolm Justice Centre in the centre of Perth shortly after 1pm local time on Tuesday and told waiting media: "Unfortunately, it appears at this stage that we still will be heading to trial in July."
>>20945301 Bruce Lehrmann lodges appeal against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson verdict - Bruce Lehrmann will represent himself in an appeal against the judgment that found he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, as his supporters abandon him and he is left alone to tackle judge Michael Lee's landmark verdict. Mr Lehrmann, a law student, on Friday afternoon lodged the appeal against findings that Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson did not defame him when airing an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021. The Australian understands Mr Lehrmann will argue Justice Lee denied him procedural fairness, and will claim Ms Higgins' evidence had serious credibility issues. He is calling on the Federal Court to set aside the judgment against him, a verdict be made in his favour, and for Ten and Wilkinson to pay his legal bills for both the appeal and the defamation proceedings. The long-awaited judgment of the matter brought by Mr Lehrmann was handed down last month, finding Ten successfully made out its truth defence and proved, on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in the office of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds. However, Justice Lee found the network failed to make out its qualified privilege defence and acted unreasonably in its treatment of Mr Lehrmann when airing The Project interview.
>>20959181 The four reasons Bruce Lehrmann thinks his appeal should succeed - Bruce Lehrmann has urged an appeal court to overturn a finding that he raped his then-colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, arguing that the evidence before the court did not support that conclusion. In a notice of appeal, filed in the Federal Court on Friday, Lehrmann sets out four grounds of appeal against the landmark decision of Justice Michael Lee on April 15 to dismiss his defamation suit against Network Ten and high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson. Lehrmann has asked the Full Court of the Federal Court to set aside Lee's decision and enter judgment in his favour. The former federal Liberal staffer claims he was denied procedural fairness during his defamation case. He alleges Lee made findings in relation to Ten and Wilkinson's successful truth defence that were not put to him when he gave evidence in the Federal Court last year. The judge's finding that the truth defence was established was "contrary to evidence" and did not meet the standard of proof, Lehrmann claims.

#21251536 at 2024-07-20 13:01:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#36 - Part 71
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Linda Reynolds Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>21042324 Former PM Scott Morrison prepared to take witness stand in Reynolds, Higgins row - Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been named among the high-profile witnesses prepared to climb into the witness box in WA Senator Linda Reynolds' high-stakes defamation trial against former staffer Brittany Higgins. Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett told the WA Supreme Court Morrison had filed and signed a witness outline on Tuesday, as the parties gathered to finalise the exchange of documents before the trial in late July. The court was told the bundle of evidence adduced by Reynolds' legal team would also contain sworn testimony from WA Senator Michaelia Cash, Cash's former chief of staff, and medical professionals who would attest to the toll the saga had taken on Reynolds' health. The court has previously been told Channel 10, journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, and Senator Katy Gallagher had been hit with subpoenas to provide evidence for both cases. Outside court, Bennett told the waiting press pack Morrison was expected to be overseas at the time of the trial, but was prepared to give evidence remotely if required.
>>21171764 The Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz 'strategy' to burn down the House - Anthony Albanese's closest confidantes, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong, were drip-fed false information by David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins as part of a larger plan to destroy the career of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds and take down the Morrison government, explosive court documents allege. Mr Sharaz also organised meetings between Ms Higgins and Labor members of parliament to discuss her rape allegations, the documents say, including then opposition leader Mr Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, as well as former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd. The extraordinary claims form part of Senator Reynolds' case against Ms Higgins in the Western Australian Supreme Court, where she is suing her former employee over a series of social media posts she says defamed her. Senator Reynolds claims the Instagram, Twitter and Threads posts falsely alleged she had "harassed" Ms Higgins, and mishandled the allegations of rape against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann by failing to provide her with any support. The case is set down for trial on August 2, following multiple failed mediation talks.
>>21171776 'The Plan' Brittany Higgins' lawyers didn't want us to see - "This is the statement of claim that lawyers for Brittany Higgins didn't want us at The Australian to see. They didn't want us to report it, to analyse what Linda Reynolds set out in her defamation claim against Higgins in the West Australian Supreme Court. Fear not. We're fighting objections by the Higgins team to us ?accessing all the documents filed in this litigation. I filed further submissions with the WA Supreme Court on Monday. The wheels of justice move slowly court orders are currently not due until the end of this month. In the meantime, my intrepid colleague Ellie Dudley got hold of a copy of the statement of claim current as at June 4. No wonder the Higgins team tried to block us from seeing it. It is an extraordinary read. For the first time in one document are allegations of what Reynolds calls "the Plan" a carefully orchestrated, pre-meditated political hit job where Higgins and Sharaz used allegations of a rape and a political cover-up "as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage" on Reynolds and the then government of the day." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au

#21251533 at 2024-07-20 13:01:02 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#36 - Part 70
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>20895231 'Heading for trial': Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins mediation talks break down - Senator Linda Reynolds has told the Albanese government it must accept that it paid $2.45m to Brittany Higgins based on claims identified as untrue in the civil court judgment that also found Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House in 2019. Senator Reynolds made the comments outside court on Tuesday as she pressed on her with her defamation case against Ms Higgins, her former media adviser, and Ms Higgins' partner David Sharaz. She is suing them over social media posts from 2022 and 2023. In court, Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett has previously described those posts as attacks on Senator Reynolds and as a "concerted plan". A long day of mediation to avoid a trial failed in March. A second attempt at mediation on Tuesday also failed after three hours. Senator Reynolds emerged from the David Malcolm Justice Centre in the centre of Perth shortly after 1pm local time on Tuesday and told waiting media: "Unfortunately, it appears at this stage that we still will be heading to trial in July."
>>20945301 Bruce Lehrmann lodges appeal against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson verdict - Bruce Lehrmann will represent himself in an appeal against the judgment that found he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, as his supporters abandon him and he is left alone to tackle judge Michael Lee's landmark verdict. Mr Lehrmann, a law student, on Friday afternoon lodged the appeal against findings that Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson did not defame him when airing an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021. The Australian understands Mr Lehrmann will argue Justice Lee denied him procedural fairness, and will claim Ms Higgins' evidence had serious credibility issues. He is calling on the Federal Court to set aside the judgment against him, a verdict be made in his favour, and for Ten and Wilkinson to pay his legal bills for both the appeal and the defamation proceedings. The long-awaited judgment of the matter brought by Mr Lehrmann was handed down last month, finding Ten successfully made out its truth defence and proved, on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in the office of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds. However, Justice Lee found the network failed to make out its qualified privilege defence and acted unreasonably in its treatment of Mr Lehrmann when airing The Project interview.
>>20959181 The four reasons Bruce Lehrmann thinks his appeal should succeed - Bruce Lehrmann has urged an appeal court to overturn a finding that he raped his then-colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, arguing that the evidence before the court did not support that conclusion. In a notice of appeal, filed in the Federal Court on Friday, Lehrmann sets out four grounds of appeal against the landmark decision of Justice Michael Lee on April 15 to dismiss his defamation suit against Network Ten and high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson. Lehrmann has asked the Full Court of the Federal Court to set aside Lee's decision and enter judgment in his favour. The former federal Liberal staffer claims he was denied procedural fairness during his defamation case. He alleges Lee made findings in relation to Ten and Wilkinson's successful truth defence that were not put to him when he gave evidence in the Federal Court last year. The judge's finding that the truth defence was established was "contrary to evidence" and did not meet the standard of proof, Lehrmann claims.

#21171764 at 2024-07-10 06:19:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20895231
The Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz 'strategy' to burn down the House

ELLIE DUDLEY - 8 July 2024

1/3

Anthony Albanese's closest confidantes, Katy Gallagher and Penny Wong, were drip-fed false information by David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins as part of a larger plan to destroy the career of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds and take down the Morrison government, explosive court documents allege.

Mr Sharaz also organised meetings between Ms Higgins and Labor members of parliament to discuss her rape allegations, the documents say, including then opposition leader Mr Albanese and Tanya Plibersek, as well as former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd.

The extraordinary claims form part of Senator Reynolds' case against Ms Higgins in the Western Australian Supreme Court, where she is suing her former employee over a series of social media posts she says defamed her.

Senator Reynolds claims the Instagram, Twitter and Threads posts falsely alleged she had "harassed" Ms Higgins, and mishandled the allegations of rape against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann by failing to provide her with any support.

The case is set down for trial on August 2, following multiple failed mediation talks.

Senator Gallagher came under intense scrutiny last year over when she was first made aware of Ms Higgins' rape claim, but denied allegations she misled parliament in refuting any advance knowledge of the assault allegations.

The Australian understands amended documents have been filed to the court since the statement of claim was uploaded on June 4. While the substance of Senator Reynolds' allegations have not changed, her case has been updated to include a claim of tortious conspiracy.

It is understood Ms Higgins is defending the claims.

In a statement of claim, obtained by The Australian, Senator Reynolds alleges Ms Higgins "acted maliciously" in creating the social media posts, as part of a larger plan orchestrated by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz to harm the Coalition.

"They were published in furtherance of a plan by the defendant and Mr Sharaz to use the defendant's allegations of a rape and the political cover-up ... as a weapon to inflict immediate political damage upon the plaintiff and the then government," the statement of claim reads.

Part of that plan, Senator Reynolds alleges, included "aggressive questions" asked by Senator Gallagher and Senator Wong in question time in early 2021, which were centred on false information provided by Mr Sharaz and Ms Higgins.

On February 11, 2021, Mr Sharaz provided Senator Gallagher with a dossier detailing the events surrounding the rape claim and an advance copy of Ms Higgins' interview with The Project, and "facilitated the provision of questions and answers between Ms Higgins and Senator Gallagher".

"Katy is going to come to me with some questions you need to prepare for ... she's really invested now," a text message sent from Mr Sharaz to Ms Higgins reads.

On February 15, 2021, Senator Gallagher and Senator Wong grilled Senator Reynolds in Senate question time about Ms Higgins' story, which had appeared in news.com.au that morning.

"Can the minister assure the Senate that neither she, her staff nor any of the prime minister's staff said or did anything which may have implicitly encouraged her former staff member not to pursue the incident with police?" Senator Gallagher asked, according to the statement of claim.

And the statement of claim says Senator Wong asked: "What steps did this minister take to ensure that Ms Higgins was confident that her career with the Liberal Party would not be negatively impacted by a decision to make a complaint to the police?"

"In the circumstances it can be inferred that the defendant provided senators Wong and Gallagher with the information forming the basis of those questions referred to above in circumstances where the defendant knew this information was false," the statement of claim reads.

(continued)

#21042324 at 2024-06-18 11:45:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20895231
Former PM Scott Morrison prepared to take witness stand in Reynolds, Higgins row

Jesinta Burton - June 18, 2024

Former prime minister Scott Morrison has been named among the high-profile witnesses prepared to climb into the witness box in WA Senator Linda Reynolds' high-stakes defamation trial against former staffer Brittany Higgins.

Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett told the WA Supreme Court Morrison had filed and signed a witness outline on Tuesday, as the parties gathered to finalise the exchange of documents before the trial in late July.

The court was told the bundle of evidence adduced by Reynolds' legal team would also contain sworn testimony from WA Senator Michaelia Cash, Cash's former chief of staff, and medical professionals who would attest to the toll the saga had taken on Reynolds' health.

But Cash's attendance in-person will hinge on parliamentary sitting dates, with Higgins' lawyers continuing a push to delay the slated July 24 start date until at least July 29 to accommodate new WA-based counsel Rachael Young.

The court has previously been told Channel 10, journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, and Senator Katy Gallagher had been hit with subpoenas to provide evidence for both cases.

Bennett also sought leave to amend the statement of claim to attach another allegation of defamation, after evidence surfaced during disclosure that he argued demonstrated Higgins collaborated on another publication he claims was defamatory of the senator.

Higgins' lawyer Teresa Ward told the court her client had already handed over the first tranche of documents expected to form evidence in the case, including dozens of personal messages, and was preparing to send the remaining files within the next 48 hours.

Outside court, Bennett told the waiting press pack Morrison was expected to be overseas at the time of the trial, but was prepared to give evidence remotely if required.

In 2021, Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann - a claim Lehrmann has long denied, but was found to be true to the civil standard by Justice Michael Lee.

Lehrmann is appealing a decision handed down by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee in Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten earlier this year that found, on the balance of probabilities, he did rape Higgins.

A rape charge against him was withdrawn in after his 2022 criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.

As the pair's former boss, Reynolds has found herself in the firing line over the then-government's handling of Higgins' rape allegation.

The senator alleges Higgins in 2023 made several social media posts she claims were false and defamatory of her, and is suing for damages, as well as aggravated damages.

Reynolds also launched an almost identical action against Higgins' husband David Sharaz, who bowed out several weeks ago after declaring he did not have the financial means to take the matter to trial.

Higgins has fiercely defended the action.

Reynolds, who made a surprise appearance at court, mentioned Morrison by name while sharing her gratitude to her former parliamentary colleagues for their support throughout the past three years.

The senator said the ongoing fallout had a significant impact on her and others, and continued to call upon those involved to accept Lee's judgment, which dispelled long-held claims of a political cover-up.

"This is not just about clearing my name, but also to get justice for the many people whose lives have been destroyed," she said.

"It's absolutely essential that all parties accept Justice Lee's findings, all of his findings, so that the many people who have been damaged by this whole saga can get justice and get peace.

"Justice Lee was very clear in terms of the fact that there was never any political conspiracy and that Ms Higgins was looked after, by myself and my chief of staff Fiona Brown, and it is time that those people who have perpetuated that agree they were wrong, apologise."

The matter is expected to return to court for a second directions hearing next week.

Reynolds is also still working to establish who controls a trust in Brittany Higgins' name, which she claims was established to safeguard Higgins' $2.4 million federal government pay-out for lost earnings and hurt, distress and humiliation.

The WA senator wants to have the trust set aside amid fears it may prevent her from getting damages if she wins the defamation case, which she has mortgaged her own home to pursue.

https://www.smh .com.au /national/ western- australia/ former-pm- prepared-to- take- witness -stand-in- reynolds- higgins- row- 20240618- p5jmvv. html

#20959181 at 2024-06-03 10:04:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20945301
The four reasons Bruce Lehrmann thinks his appeal should succeed

Michaela Whitbourn - June 3, 2024

Bruce Lehrmann has urged an appeal court to overturn a finding that he raped his then-colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, arguing that the evidence before the court did not support that conclusion.

In a notice of appeal, filed in the Federal Court on Friday, Lehrmann sets out four grounds of appeal against the landmark decision of Justice Michael Lee on April 15 to dismiss his defamation suit against Network Ten and high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson.

Lehrmann has asked the Full Court of the Federal Court to set aside Lee's decision and enter judgment in his favour. The handwritten words "Bruce Lehrmann" appear next to a line on the appeal form asking who prepared the document.

It is not yet clear if a solicitor or barrister will act for him during any hearing.

'Credibility problems'

The former federal Liberal staffer claims he was denied procedural fairness during his defamation case. He alleges Lee made findings in relation to Ten and Wilkinson's successful truth defence that were not put to him when he gave evidence in the Federal Court last year.

The judge's finding that the truth defence was established was "contrary to evidence" and did not meet the standard of proof, Lehrmann claims.

He alleges Higgins had "significant credibility problems" and the court should not have been satisfied on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann had raped Higgins in Parliament House in 2019, in light of a principle known as the Briginshaw standard that requires a court to proceed cautiously in making grave findings.

Lee said in his judgment that he had "considerable doubts about the authenticity" of a photo purportedly of a bruise on Higgins' leg. The judge said he fell "well short of being satisfied" Lehrmann caused a bruise, and was not satisfied Higgins fell up a flight of stairs at a nightclub "so as to sustain the bruise".

Lehrmann claimed that Ten and Wilkinson regarded this photo as "cornerstone 'evidence' " and, following the judge's finding about this photo and other evidence, it "was not open to the Judge to find the case he did".

Hypothetical damages inadequate

Lehrmann also says Lee's assessment that he would only have been entitled to $20,000 if he had won the defamation case was "wholly inadequate".

Lehrmann launched defamation proceedings against Ten and Wilkinson last year over a February 2021 interview with Higgins, aired on The Project.

Defamatory meanings

He claimed the broadcast conveyed a series of defamatory meanings including that he raped Higgins in Parliament House, continued to rape her "after she woke up mid-rape and was crying and telling him to stop at least half a dozen times", and "crushed his leg against her leg so forcefully as to cause a large bruise". Lehrmann denied there was any sexual contact between the pair at all.

Lee found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann had raped Higgins, and was indifferent to whether she was consenting. The judge did not accept that it had been established that Higgins woke up mid-rape and was crying and telling Lehrmann to stop, or that he caused a large bruise on her leg.

But the judge found that the "defamatory sting" of each of the meanings was that Lehrmann raped Higgins, and the truth defence had been established by proving that assault.

Lehrmann has fashioned an appeal ground from that finding. He says that The Project broadcast suggested "a violent rape" and this was "contrary to the non-violent rape … which was ultimately found".

Funds for appeal

It is not yet clear how Lehrmann, who is an unemployed law student, would fund an appeal.

War veteran Ben Roberts-Smith agreed last year to orders requiring him to pay almost $1 million as security to cover the legal costs of Nine newspapers in the event he loses his appeal against his own devastating defamation loss. Ten and Wilkinson may also seek security for costs from Lehrmann.

An appeal would not require witnesses, including Higgins and Wilkinson, to give evidence afresh.

If the appeal proceeds, either of Wilkinson or Ten may opt to challenge the judge's finding that their fallback defence of qualified privilege would have failed if the truth defence had not been established.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-four-reasons-Bruce-Lehrmann-thinks-his-appeal-should-succeed-20240603-p5jisf.html

#20945301 at 2024-05-31 14:15:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20726614 (pb)
>>20726638 (pb)
Bruce Lehrmann lodges appeal against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson verdict

ELLIE DUDLEY - MAY 31, 2024

Bruce Lehrmann will represent himself in an appeal against the judgment that found he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, as his supporters abandon him and he is left alone to tackle judge Michael Lee's landmark verdict.

Mr Lehrmann, a law student, on Friday afternoon lodged the appeal against findings that Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson did not defame him when airing an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021.

The Australian understands Mr Lehrmann will argue Justice Lee denied him procedural fairness, and will claim Ms Higgins' evidence had serious credibility issues.

He is calling on the Federal Court to set aside the judgment against him, a verdict be made in his favour, and for Ten and Wilkinson to pay his legal bills for both the appeal and the defamation proceedings.

The long-awaited judgment of the matter brought by Mr Lehrmann was handed down last month, finding Ten successfully made out its truth defence and proved, on the balance of probabilities, that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in the office of Liberal senator Linda Reynolds.

However, Justice Lee found the network failed to make out its qualified privilege defence and acted unreasonably in its treatment of Mr Lehrmann when airing The Project interview.

Mr Lehrmann had until Friday to file the appeal, after Justice Lee extended the usual 28-day window until May 31.

Mr Lehrmann will claim Justice Lee's ultimate findings were never put to him in cross-examination, and he was therefore denied procedural fairness.

He will also argue there were serious credibility issues with Ms Higgins' evidence, specifically in relation to an image of a bruise she shared with The Project team in the lead up to her interview.

During Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial, Ms Higgins claimed the bruise was caused during the rape. However, she later admitted the bruise could have occurred earlier in the night when she fell over at Canberra's 88mph nightclub.

In delivering judgment, Justice Lee found Mr Lehrmann would have only received $20,000 had he won his defamation fight "because he is only entitled to be compensated for the reputation he deserves".

But in his appeal, Mr Lehrmann will argue that because Justice Lee agreed Wilkinson's Logies speech - which delayed Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial by three months - had impinged in the administration of justice, he is entitled to greater damages.

The Australian understands while Mr Lehrmann had been provided expert advice from top silk Guy Reynolds SC, he ultimately filed the appeal himself and will self-represent in any subsequent hearings.

Mr Lehrmann also sought assistance from former crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, who has extensive experience with rape trials. Ms Cunneen, now a criminal barrister, most recently won a sexual assault case for ex-Wallaby Kurtley Beale.

Justice Lee earlier this month ordered Mr Lehrmann to pay the rumoured $6 million legal bills of both Ten and Wilkinson, criticising the former Liberal staffer for bringing the defamation matter based on a "fanciful and knowingly false premise".

He ruled the broadcaster could recover costs from Mr Lehrmann on an indemnity basis - covering about 90 per cent of its legal bill - in relation to its truth defence, and on an ordinary or party-party basis - about 70 per cent of its legal bill - in relation to its qualified privilege defence.

Mr Lehrmann is currently unemployed, and it is unlikely Ten will be able to recover costs.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/Bruce-Lehrmann-lodges-appeal-against-network-ten-lisa-wilkinson-verdict/news-story/d297c5f223e7c311387f6253742c2a4a

#20895231 at 2024-05-21 11:23:12 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

>>20676399 (pb)
>>20736640 (pb)
>>20808182 (pb)
'Heading for trial': Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins mediation talks break down

PAIGE TAYLOR - MAY 21, 2024

Senator Linda Reynolds has told the Albanese government it must accept that it paid $2.45m to Brittany Higgins based on claims identified as untrue in the civil court judgment that also found Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.

Senator Reynolds made the comments outside court on Tuesday as she pressed on her with her defamation case against Ms Higgins, her former media adviser, and Ms Higgins' partner David Sharaz.

She is suing them over social media posts from 2022 and 2023.

In court, Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett has previously described those posts as attacks on Senator Reynolds and as a "concerted plan".

A long day of mediation to avoid a trial failed in March. A second attempt at mediation on Tuesday also failed after three hours.

Senator Reynolds emerged from the David Malcolm Justice Centre in the centre of Perth shortly after 1pm local time on Tuesday and told waiting media: "Unfortunately, it appears at this stage that we still will be heading to trial in July."

Tuesday's mediation was the first attempt at a settlement since Network Ten successfully defended itself in a defamation case brought by Mr Lehrmann over a story on The Project.

That story featured Ms Higgins' rape allegation and claims of a political cover-up in which Ms Higgins was forced to choose between her career and justice.

In a lengthy judgment in that case in April, Justice Michael Lee found that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in the ministerial suite of Senator Reynolds in the early hours of March 23, 2019. At the time, Senator Reynolds was the defence industry minister.

Ten won the case because Ms Higgins' rape allegation was found to be true. However Justice Lee said "the cover-up allegation was objectively short on facts, but long on speculation and internal inconsistencies - trying to particularise it during the evidence was like trying to grab a column of smoke".

On her way in and out of the mediation on Tuesday, Senator Reynolds said all of Justice Lee's findings must be accepted by all parties. She said this included the Finance Minister, the Attorney-General and his department.

"It's time for them to admit they got it wrong," she said before the mediation began.

Senator Reynolds later confirmed she was talking about Ms Higgins' payout, which - according to documents made public in court - included $400,000 for the way she was treated at work.

"Justice Lee made some very comprehensive findings in his judgment and it is time for all parties to accept all of his comments and I think that will help us all move forward," she said.

When Senator Reynolds was asked which findings, her lawyer Mr Bennett referred to six paragraphs about the Commonwealth deed that underpinned Ms Higgins' payout.

Justice Lee said it was evident several things being alleged were untrue and gave examples, including that "minister Reynolds did not engage with [Ms Higgins] at all during the election campaign. She avoided [Ms Higgins] and made clear that she did not want the claimant attending events with her".

Standing outside court with Senator Reynolds after the failed mediation, Mr Bennett said the relevant paragraphs of the judgment were "where Justice Lee identified that the warranties given by Ms Higgins in the deed of settlement were false".

A reporter then asked Senator Reynolds: "But in saying that the Attorney-General was wrong ... is that in terms of awarding her the payout?" Senator Reynolds replied: "Yes".

Mr Sharaz and Ms Higgins were not present for the mediation in Perth. Ms Higgins' and her lawyer may have participated by video link, The Australian has been told.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/admit-you-got-it-wrong-reynolds-fronts-court-ahead-of-higgins-mediation-talks/news-story/543d2487783b56448e0374090ca20a59

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PP4sN9duys

#20886332 at 2024-05-19 08:33:57 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 58
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 4
>>20826937 Linda Reynolds seeks to overturn Brittany Higgins trust - Linda Reynolds is preparing new legal action to set aside a trust established by Brittany Higgins that the former Liberal minister asserts may have been set up by Ms Higgins to protect the money she received in a $2.4m commonwealth compensation payout. Senator Reynolds' move is designed to ensure that in the event she wins her upcoming defamation case against Ms Higgins, she is able to access any assets still held by her former staffer. In a draft of an application to be filed in the Western Australian Supreme Court on Monday Senator Reynolds demands a copy of the Brittany Higgins Protective Trust deed, set up in February last year, to ascertain who is the trustee -- and who to sue in the event Ms Higgins claims not to be able to meet any costs or damages awarded. If the court grants the order, Senator Reynolds would then be able to bring an action under section 89 of the WA Property Act - or other similar provision in the relevant jurisdiction where the trust was established - to have the trust set aside.

#20886331 at 2024-05-19 08:33:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 57
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 3
>>20726638 'Bruce Lehrmann made the mistake of coming back for his hat' - Justice Michael Lee's defamation judgement was a masterstroke. Here are some of his sharpest observations. 'I'm convinced ... that sexual intercourse did take place, and that took place with Mr Lehrmann on top of Ms Higgins on the couch in the minister's office' - 'Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins. I hasten to stress this is a finding on the balance of probabilities' On Lehrmann pursuing damages after his aborted criminal trial: 'Having escaped the lion's den Mr Lehrmann made the mistake of coming back for his hat'
>>20736640 Reynolds breaks silence over Lehrmann judgment, vows to pursue Higgins - Former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds has broken her silence following Bruce Lehrmann's defamation defeat, vowing to proceed with her own civil case against Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz while declaring accusations of a political cover-up had been dispelled. Hours after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said his Liberal colleague had been vindicated by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee's findings into the "sordid affair", the West Australian senator became the first MP embroiled in the saga to speak out. Dutton also suggested Higgins and Sharaz should apologise to her. "For three years I have endured intense public scrutiny, vilification, vile trolling and have been demonised as the villain in a story of a political cover-up I have always known to be untrue," Reynolds said. She said both her and her former chief-of-staff Fiona Brown had lost their careers, "had our reputations destroyed and have had our health seriously and irreparably compromised".

>>20798809 David Sharaz waves white flag in Linda Reynolds defamation case - Brittany Higgins' fiance David Sharaz has declared he will no longer defend himself against the defamation claim lodged against him by Linda Reynolds, in the latest twist in the long-running legal saga. Senator Reynolds is suing Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz at the same time over the social media posts in 2022 and 2023. Senator Reynolds is expected to argue that her reputation was destroyed by a false allegation that she was part of an attempt to cover-up the rape of Ms Higgins by her then-colleague Bruce Lehrmann and the social media posts by the pair that pushed that false allegation. In a directions hearing in the Supreme Court of Western Australia on Tuesday, Mr Sharaz's lawyer described the impending six week trial, scheduled to start in late July, as horrendously expensive and a disaster for everyone. He said Mr Sharaz could not afford to participate in it. Earlier, Mr Sharaz had posted a statement on social media saying he had informed the court that he would not fight the legal action against him any more. "I will now appeal for Senator Reynolds to settle her litigation against Brittany, a rape victim, by agreeing to disagree and putting all of this behind them. It's time to move on," he wrote. "It's time to let Brittany heal."
>>20808182 Sharaz could be bankrupt if he loses: Reynolds' lawyer - Brittany Higgins' fiance David Sharaz could "go bankrupt" if he loses the defamation claim lodged against him by former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds, following his declaration he was abandoning his defence of the case. In the midst of a directions hearing in the West Australian Supreme Court on Tuesday, Mr Sharaz posted a statement on social media saying he could not afford to pay the costs of a six-week trial fighting Senator Reynolds' legal action. Senator Reynolds has made it clear through her lawyer, Martin Bennett, that she has no intention of abandoning her case against Mr Sharaz or Ms Higgins without an apology over their allegations she was involved in a cover-up of Ms Higgins' rape by Bruce Lehrmann. Senator Reynolds says the cover-up allegations, found by Justice Michael Lee to be false, destroyed her reputation. Mr Bennett ridiculed Mr Sharaz's claim that he could not afford his defence, observing he now lived with Ms Higgins in a five-bedroom country house in the south of France. "He lives in a chateau. He hasn't got a job and he's got a QC and a junior solicitor, two solicitors representing him," he said. "If he's impecunious as he asserts in France, he'll go bankrupt."

#20886330 at 2024-05-19 08:33:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 56
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>20676399 Court told Brittany Higgins colluded with Lisa Wilkinson to 'attack' Linda Reynolds, as defamation case heads for trial - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds intends to claim that Brittany Higgins and her now fiance David Sharaz colluded with Lisa Wilkinson and a Channel Ten producer to politically attack her, if her defamation cases against the couple go to trial. The former defence minister, who plans to retire from politics at the next election, is suing both her former political staffer and Sharaz over a series of social media posts that she says damaged her reputation. Lawyers for the parties appeared in the Western Australian supreme court on Wednesday, after a closed-door mediation hearing failed last month as the matters edged closer to trial. They wrangled over how the prospective trials should be run, with Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett saying they were so "intertwined" they should be partially merged to prevent duplication and save the parties money.
>>20700884 Brittany Higgins questions whether she 'may have been drugged' on night Bruce Lehrmann allegedly raped her - Brittany Higgins has questioned whether she may have been drugged on the night she was allegedly raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House, and that she wishes the Federal Court had explored this possibility during Mr Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson, new court documents have revealed. The former Liberal staffer also claims the circumstances in which her $2.4m commonwealth payment was "prepared, agreed and executed" had not been explored "in any meaningful way" during proceedings, saying there is "no proper basis" to make adverse findings against her in relation to the compensation package. Mr Lehrmann's lawyers had argued that Ms Higgins made 11 separate representations about her alleged rape in her settlement that were either false or contradicted by her own evidence in the defamation case.

>>20700895 Judgment day finally announced for epic Bruce Lehrmann, Ten, Lisa Wilkinson defamation saga - Bruce Lehrmann will learn on Monday next week whether judge Michael Lee has found he was defamed by Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson when they aired an interview with alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins. On Tuesday, the Federal Court advised that Justice Lee would deliver his verdict at 10.15am next Monday, with the judge expected to read an abbreviated version of his judgment, live-streamed on the Federal Court's YouTube channel, with longer reasons to be published in full on the court's website at the conclusion. The judgment had been delayed by an 11th-hour intervention last week by disaffected former Seven producer Taylor Auerbach, who provided Ten with affidavits about Mr Lehrmann's involvement with the Seven network. Mr Lehrmann sued Ten and Wilkinson over her interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021, detailing accu?sations that Mr Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins but not naming him as the alleged attacker. Ten and Wilkinson have relied on a defence of truth, in an attempt to prove Mr Lehrmann sexually assaulted Ms Higgins on the couch of senator Linda Reynolds in Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019. Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied raping Ms Higgins.
>>20726614 Bruce Lehrmann 'raped Brittany Higgins', Ten wins defamation case - Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson have won their landmark defamation case against Bruce Lehrmann after Justice Michael Lee found the former Liberal staffer raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. In delivering his long-awaited judgement, Justice Lee found Mr Lehrmann was "hellbent" on having sex with Ms Higgins after passionately kissing her in a Canberra night club, and was "so intent upon gratification" that he "did not care one way or the other whether Ms Higgins understood or agreed to what was going on." Mr Lehrmann will receive no damages from the media outlet, and a debate regarding costs will be heard in coming weeks. Justice Lee also rejected suggestions aired by The Project that there was a political conspiracy to cover up Ms Higgins' rape allegations, saying the accusations caused a "broom of confusion" and did much "collateral damage, including to the fair and orderly progress of the underlying allegation of sexual assault through the criminal justice system".

#20886326 at 2024-05-19 08:32:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #36: BADGE OF HONOR Edition

#35 - Part 55
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>20575539 Judge asks whether Brittany Higgins should be recalled over $2.4m compo evidence - The judge in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case has sensationally asked whether Brittany Higgins should be recalled to give evidence about her $2.4m compensation payout, after the Ten Network suggested it would be unfair to her for the court to make findings about whether she had made false represent?ations to the commonwealth. Justice Michael Lee emailed parties to the defamation case earlier this week after receiving a submission from Ten that allegations Ms Higgins had "committed a fraud on the common?wealth" should not be adjudi?cated in the case. Mr Lehrmann's lawyers had argued that Ms Higgins made 11 separate representations about her alleged rape in her settlement that were either false or contradicted by her own evidence in the defamation case. Ms Higgins made false representation "for the purposes of securing a life-changing payment" and were a breach of the warranties made by her in the deed, Mr Lehrmann's lawyers alleged.
>>20656143 Ten seeks to reopen Bruce Lehrmann defamation case after ex-Seven producer Taylor Auerbach's evidence - In a dramatic last-minute move, Network Ten has launched an urgent application asking the Federal Court to reopen its case in the defamation action brought against it by Bruce Lehrmann, after it received sensational new information from former Seven producer Taylor Auerbach. The application by the network will be heard by Justice Michael Lee on Tuesday, just two days before the judge was due to deliver his verdict in the long-running trial. On Sunday, Ten filed an application for "leave to reopen the ... case for the purpose of adducing fresh evidence be granted".

>>20660643 Inside Ten's eleventh-hour manoeuvre in the Lehrmann defamation case - On Easter Sunday, Network Ten filed an urgent application seeking to call fresh evidence as part of its defence to Bruce Lehrmann's multimillion-dollar defamation suit over an interview with Brittany Higgins helmed by Lisa Wilkinson and aired on The Project on February 15, 2021. Federal Court Justice Michael Lee will preside over a hearing at 5pm on Tuesday to determine whether he will allow Ten to reopen its case, less than 48 hours before his judgment was expected to be delivered on Thursday morning. If Lee accedes to Ten's application, the network is seeking to call Taylor Auerbach, a former producer on Seven's Spotlight program, who was part of a team working to woo Lehrmann into striking an exclusive interview deal with the broadcaster in late 2022. Those efforts proved persuasive, and Lehrmann inked a media exclusivity deal with Seven in April 2023.
>>20671056 Federal Court publishes affidavit detailing Seven Network payments to Bruce Lehrmann, including for sex, drugs - A former Seven Network producer has claimed the broadcaster paid for "illicit drugs and prostitutes" as part of its efforts to secure an exclusive sit-down interview with Bruce Lehrmann. The evidence has come to light in an affidavit from Taylor Auerbach, who was a producer on the Spotlight program, which aired two interviews with Mr Lehrmann last year. The affidavit has now been released by the Federal Court, after it was tendered during Network Ten's application to reopen its case in Mr Lehrmann's defamation claim. Mr Auerbach's affidavit details multiple payments in late 2022 and early 2023. He said that over two days in January 2023, money Mr Lehrmann allegedly paid for illicit drugs and to engage sex workers was reimbursed to him "by Seven through 'per diems' ... in the days after [Mr Lehrmann's] departure from Sydney in early January".
>>20676391 Lehrmann invoiced Seven for 'bender' with cocaine and sex workers, court told - Bruce Lehrmann asked Seven to pay for a "bender" in Sydney with cocaine and sex workers as the network sought to secure an exclusive interview with the former federal Liberal staffer, an ex-producer on its Spotlight program has claimed in explosive evidence in the Federal Court. Taylor Auerbach has emerged as an unlikely witness in Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson after Ten won an eleventh-hour court bid on Tuesday to reopen its case and call him to give evidence in its defence. The former senior producer on Spotlight told the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday that Lehrmann had "purchased a bag of cocaine while we were dining at Franca" in Potts Point in Sydney on January 5 last year before the exclusive interview deal was inked in April.

#20545598 at 2024-03-10 08:51:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#34 - Part 35
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 3
>>20514473 ACT pays price for Drumgold's trial slur against Reynolds - The ACT government has apologised to former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds and paid $90,000 in damages and legal costs over accusations by former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold during Bruce Lehrmann's rape case that the senator had engaged in "disturbing conduct" that included political interference in the police investigation. Senator Reynolds launched defamation action in December in the wake of findings by the ?Sofronoff board of inquiry that Mr Drumgold's allegations against her were baseless and "grossly unethical".
>>20514482 Walter Sofronoff displayed 'apprehension of bias' while probing Shane Drumgold: judge - Former judge Walter Sofronoff's conduct during an inquiry into the behaviour of former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold while prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann gave rise to "a reasonable apprehension of bias", a judge has found. Acting Justice Stephen Kaye on Monday said Mr Sofronoff may have been "influenced" by the views of The Australian's columnist Janet Albrechtsen through his communications with her while conducting the inquiry that ended Mr Drumgold's career. However, he upheld almost all the findings in Mr Sofronoff's report of serious misconduct by Mr Drumgold that the former prosecutor had claimed were unsound.
>>20519996 Linda Reynolds' defamation action could 'bankrupt' Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz - Brittany Higgins and Senator Reynolds' legal teams will come face-to-face in Perth in a court-ordered mediation over the former Defence Minister's defamation case amid judicial warnings over the "human cost" of the legal battle. Senator Reynolds' legal team has argued she has been left highly distressed by online trolling, and alleged that Mr Sharaz had been "a constant participant" in that trolling. Legal sources say the costs associated with the proceedings had the potential to bankrupt Mr Sharaz, who has not been in full-time work since he suddenly left his role at Southern Cross Austereo a fortnight after defamation action was taken against him by Senator Reynolds last year.

>>20529679 Brittany Higgins taken to Perth hospital after marathon court hearing - Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins was taken to hospital on Tuesday night following a marathon defamation hearing in a Perth court with senator Linda Reynolds. It is understood the 29-year-old attended Royal Perth Hospital, but a spokesperson from the hospital said there was no record of her being admitted. Higgins' fianc? David Sharaz declined to comment. Higgins and Sharaz had been forced to travel to Western Australia from their new home in the south of France for in-person peace talks with her former boss at the recommendation of Justice Marcus Solomon.
>>20529697 Police officers sue over Shane Drumgold claims that 'destroyed lives' - Five Australian Federal Police ?officers have begun defamation action against the ACT government over allegations by former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold that they engaged in "a very clear campaign to pressure" him not to prosecute the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins. Lawyers for the five officers have sent a concerns notice to the government and to Mr Drumgold over his allegations against them, which included that they had ?engaged in "consistent and inappropriate interference" in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann. The allegations were made in a letter Mr Drumgold sent to ACT police chief Neil Gaughan on ?November 1, 2022, expressing concern over "some quite clear ?investigator interference in the criminal justice process".
>>20535301 Shane Drumgold lands new job teaching law to Canberra students - Students at Canberra University have been startled to discover the identity of their new lecturer in the law of evidence: disgraced former ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Mr Drumgold, who resigned as DPP last year following the damning findings of misconduct by the Sofronoff ?inquiry, began teaching a unit of the online law of evidence course at the university on January 15 and will teach another from October 21. Academics at the university have expressed astonishment that Mr Drumgold will be teaching students, particularly in an area of law which he was found by the ?Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately flouted. "Being appointed in the middle of this godforsaken mess to teach evidence law is just - wow, you can't make it up," one faculty member told The Australian.

#20545597 at 2024-03-10 08:50:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#34 - Part 34
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>20405648 Journalist 'infected' Lehrmann inquiry chair's findings against prosecutor, court hears - Journalist for The Australian Janet Albrechtsen "infected" Walter Sofronoff KC, the chair of the inquiry into the botched prosecution of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann, with bias against former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold, a court has been told. The allegations were made by Drumgold's lawyer, Dan O'Gorman SC, in court in his bid to overturn findings against his client made in the high-profile probe into the Lehrmann trial.
>>20405655 Walter Sofronoff's mind 'poisoned' against Shane Drumgold: court claim - Walter Sofronoff KC "poisoned his mind" against former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold while conducting inquiry into the handling of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial, a court has heard. The ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday morning heard allegations that Mr Sofronoff was influenced by frequent communication with The Australian's columnist Janet Albrechtsen, who Mr Drumgold's lawyers claim favoured Mr Lehrmann in her coverage of his prosecution, while writing "negative" stories about Mr Drumgold's conduct during the case.
>>20411134 'I begged Ten to own up on Logies speech', says Lisa Wilkinson - Lisa Wilkinson has recounted how she begged Network Ten to reveal she had acted on legal advice in giving her Logies speech, as Tasha Smithies, Ten's most senior litigation counsel who gave the speech the OK, told the court she was "not embarrassed" by it.
>>20411150 'Albrechtsen asked more questions': Inquiry chair denies special treatment for journalist - The lawyer for Lehrmann inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC denied his client gave preferential treatment to The Australian columnist Janet Albrechtsen during the judicial probe, instead saying she just asked more questions than other journalists.

>>20417071 Lisa Wilkinson's big win in Network Ten cost proceedings - Lisa Wilkinson has won the battle with the Ten Network over her million-dollar legal bills, although exactly how much it will be required to pay rests on who wins the defamation case brought by Bruce Lehrmann, a verdict not expected until at least next month. The Federal Court heard Wilkinson's long-held position had been "vindicated" with a finding by judge Michael Lee that it was "reasonable" for her to engage her own legal representation in the defamation proceedings.
>>20422741 Sharaz tipped off Wilkinson about end of rape trial - Lisa Wilkinson had advance knowledge that ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold was about to abandon the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial because of concerns over Brittany Higgins' mental health - allegedly thanks to a tip off from Higgins' partner, David Sharaz. Newly released documents from the Federal Court suggest that on the morning of 1 December 2022, Ms Wilkinson learnt from Mr Sharaz that Mr Drumgold would be bringing the Lehrmann prosecution to an end the following day.
>>20444991 Bruce Lehrmann files complaint against Ten lawyer Tasha Smithies over Lisa Wilkinson advice - Bruce Lehrmann has lodged a complaint of professional mis?conduct with the NSW legal watchdog against the Ten Network's senior litigation counsel Tasha Smithies, alleging her advice to Lisa Wilkinson contributed to the long delay in his criminal trial. In his complaint to the NSW Legal Services Commissioner, Mr Lehrmann alleges Ms Smithies "has displayed legal conduct that is wholly inadequate to uphold the fundamental principles of the rule of law". Mr Lehrmann claims that conduct began in June 2022, when Ms Smithies advised Wilkinson that she could give the Logies speech that caused his trial for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins to be stayed.
>>20477884 Bruce Lehrmann to face committal hearing in June for Toowoomba rape case - Bruce Lehrmann, who has been charged with two counts of raping a woman in Queensland in 2021, will face a committal hearing in June, with his lawyers to cross-examine witnesses. Lehrmann, 28, is facing two counts of raping a woman, who he allegedly met in a nightclub weeks after he first appeared in a Canberra court over unrelated allegations he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.
>>20498547 Higgins' claims in $2.4m payout contradicted by her own evidence: lawyers - Brittany Higgins made 11 separate representations about her alleged rape in her $2.4m settlement with the commonwealth which were either false or contradicted by her own evidence in the defamation case brought by Bruce Lehrmann, his lawyers have claimed. In newly released submissions by the parties to the case, Mr Lehrmann's lawyers set out a detailed comparison of the claims Ms Higgins made in the Commonwealth deed, signed in December 2022, with her evidence in the still-to-be-decided defamation case.

#20545596 at 2024-03-10 08:50:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#34 - Part 33
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>20092945 Video: Brittany Higgins's former chief of staff Fiona Brown allowed to give evidence in closed court session.
>>20098432 Lip-reader spent three days analysing CCTV footage of Lehrmann and Higgins, court told.
>>20098441 Who said conspiracy? Lisa Wilkinson's lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC abandons cover-up claim.
>>20103761 Former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown says Brittany Higgins 'didn't tell me she had been raped'.
>>20103774 Linda Reynolds to seek freeze on Brittany Higgins' assets as her former staffer leaves for new life in France.
>>20108466 Federal Court Justice Michael Lee says parts of Higgins, Lehrmann evidence 'simply can't be accepted.'
>>20108473 Bienvenue: Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz have arrived in Paris to start their new life in France.
>>20114415 'Lies, damned lies and CCTV': Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow SC delivers blistering closing address.
>>20119265 David Sharaz: the witness who never appeared - Where was Sharaz when Lisa Wilkinson was fighting for her professional life in court? The evidence of the man dubbed 'puppet master' by Bruce Lehrmann would have been relevant.

>>20147701 YouTuber who allegedly uploaded unlawful videos of the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial has been ordered to face court over alleged contempt
>>20187793 Lehrmann lawyers call for 'substantial damages' even if court finds he lied about sex - Bruce Lehrmann should still receive "substantial damages" in his defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson even if the Federal Court finds he lied when he said he did not have sex with Brittany Higgins, his barristers have told the court.
>>20266894 Reynolds recruits French counsel as Higgins, Sharaz lawsuit escalates - WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has taken her defamation row with Brittany Higgins to her former staffer's new home country, engaging a French lawyer in her pursuit of a freezing order over Higgins' European assets.
>>20334205 Shane Drumgold claims 'bias' in Walter Sofronoff inquiry - Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold will attempt to prove his allegation that Walter Sofronoff KC engaged in an "unreasonable" relationship with columnist Janet Albrechtsen and The Australian newspaper while he was conducting an inquiry into Mr Drumgold's conduct in prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial.
>>20334220 Judge urges Brittany Higgins, David Sharaz, Linda Reynolds to settle defamation suit - WA Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon has again called on Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins and her fiance, David Sharaz, to do everything they can to settle their defamation dispute ahead of its upcoming mediation hearing, having previously spoken to the "human cost of this litigation".
>>20359645 Lisa Wilkinson only had a 'limited role' in Brittany Higgins broadcast: court documents - Lisa Wilkinson's "limited role" in producing the final broadcast of Brittany Higgins' interview with The Project was simply to "read the pre-prepared script", new Federal Court documents from the veteran television presenter's lawyers show.
>>20365347 Shane Drumgold fails in bid to scrap 'irrelevant' evidence of Walter Sofronoff - Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold has failed in a bid to strike out evidence from Walter Sofronoff KC explaining why he engaged with the media throughout an inquiry into Mr Drumgold's conduct while prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann's rape case, with a Supreme Court judge ruling that the evidence could go some way to clarifying how contact with the press could have been "necessary or convenient for the fair and prompt conduct of the inquiry."
>>20405635 Ten 'intentionally cruel': explosive Lisa Wilkinson claims - Lisa Wilkinson has set out for the first time, in exacting detail, her claims of betrayal by Ten and her "devastation and humiliation" at being removed from The Project, in previously secret documents now released by the Federal Court.
>>20405643 Sofronoff, Drumgold showdown to kick off in court - The first day of a legal throwdown brought by former ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC against the inquiry that ended his career will be heard in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday, in a battle the disgraced prosecutor hopes will reinstate his reputation and possibly catapult him back into his old job. Mr Drumgold launched legal action against the ACT government and the inquiry, chaired by Walter Sofronoff KC, last year, challenging findings in the final report that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

#20535301 at 2024-03-08 08:38:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20514482
Shane Drumgold lands new job teaching law to Canberra students

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - MARCH 6, 2024

Students at Canberra University have been startled to discover the identity of their new lecturer in the law of evidence: disgraced former ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold.

Mr Drumgold, who resigned as DPP last year following the damning findings of misconduct by the Sofronoff ?inquiry, began teaching a unit of the online law of evidence course at the university on January 15 and will teach another from October 21.

Academics at the university have expressed astonishment that Mr Drumgold will be teaching students, particularly in an area of law which he was found by the ?Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately flouted.

"Being appointed in the middle of this godforsaken mess to teach evidence law is just - wow, you can't make it up," one faculty member told The Australian.

"It's funny how academia doesn't think (the Sofronoff ?report) is a real thing - it's just staggering."

Mr Drumgold's current LinkedIn profile describes him as a "retired lawyer author".

The former DPP is teaching a unit that "introduces graduate students to the law of evidence" with a particular focus on the ACT Evidence Act 2011, including pre-trial obligations, privileges and ?exceptions to the rules.

Among the findings of the ?Sofronoff inquiry were that Mr Drumgold was guilty of a serious breach of duty by failing to comply with the "golden rule" of disclosure by failing to disclose documents under the Evidence Act 2011; that he "kept the defence in the dark" about the steps he was taking to deny it the documents; and that he "constructed a false narrative to support a claim of legal professional privilege".

Mr Drumgold was also found to have made representations to Chief Justice Lucy McCallum in the criminal case against Bruce Lehrmann that were untrue and "an invention of his own" and presented evidence in the form of an alleged "contemporaneous" file note to the Chief Justice that was false and "knowingly lied" to her about it.

All of these findings were upheld on Monday by judge Stephen Kaye in response to a legal challenge by Mr Drumgold to the ?Sofronoff inquiry's report that he was in breach of his duties while prosecuting allegations that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins on a couch in Parliament House.

"He's teaching evidence and all of this [Mr Drumgold's admissions in the inquiry and Sofronoff findings] is on the public record," the faculty member said, acknowledging that colleagues at the university were reluctant to make an issue of the appointment.

"You don't speak up about this sort of thing because if you have a view that's anywhere in the centre of politics ... best of luck to you," the staff member said.

Despite a stated commitment by the University of Canberra to "open and transparent governance and leadership", the university declined to respond to any of the specific questions posed by The Australian.

Among those the university failed to address were: how Mr Drumgold was selected and awarded the position, and whether the university had considered the findings of the Sofronoff inquiry when it appointed him.

Mr Drumgold, who gained his law degree from the University of Canberra in 2001, was made an adjunct professor (an academic who does not work full time at the university) in 2020 and is still listed on the university website in that position.

The university would not disclose whether Mr Drumgold held any positions other than teaching the evidence course, or the terms and conditions of his employment.

Instead, the university issued a brief statement asserting that teaching of all units was "governed by quality assurance processes" and that appointment of teaching staff was "governed by rigorous policies that ensure their suitability and qualifications are aligned with the unit's delivery requirements".

Mr Drumgold is not able to work as a barrister in the ACT as his practising certificate was conditional on his employment in government.

Applications for practising certificates - and renewals - do not begin again in the ACT until April.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/shane-drumgold-lands-new-job-teaching-law-to-canberra-students/news-story/498c960a43f27a2ba10e711249eafe38

#20529697 at 2024-03-07 08:46:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20514482
Police officers sue over Shane Drumgold claims that 'destroyed lives'

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - MARCH 7, 2024

1/2

Five Australian Federal Police ?officers have begun defamation action against the ACT government over allegations by former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold that they engaged in "a very clear campaign to pressure" him not to prosecute the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.

Lawyers for the five officers have sent a concerns notice to the government and to Mr Drumgold over his allegations against them, which included that they had ?engaged in "consistent and inappropriate interference" in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

The allegations were made in a letter Mr Drumgold sent to ACT police chief Neil Gaughan on ?November 1, 2022, expressing concern over "some quite clear ?investigator interference in the criminal justice process".

The letter sparked the Sofronoff inquiry into police and prosecution conduct in the Lehrmann case, which largely exonerated police and found that Mr Drumgold's assertions were baseless.

One of the AFP officers told The Australian the letter had ?"destroyed careers and destroyed people's lives". "When you're in a profession where integrity is ?pivotal, if you lose your integrity, if it's suggested that you are corrupt or you've trying to pervert the course of justice or influence something, it just goes against the grain," the officer said.

"I don't think people appreciate the impact that this whole ?debacle over the four years has had on individual police officers. We did nothing wrong, and we are paying the price."

The concerns notice - a precursor to defamation proceedings - comes just days after the ACT government apologised to former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds and paid $90,000 in damages and legal costs over accusations by Mr Drumgold in the same letter that the senator had engaged in "disturbing conduct" that included political interference in the police investigation.

Mr Drumgold authorised the release of the unredacted letter after talking to a journalist from The Guardian, who then lodged a Freedom of Information request.

The letter, containing the DPP's suspicions of impropriety against the named police officers and Senator Reynolds, was ?released without any of the ?consultations or redactions ?required by law. The FOI application was determined and executed within four hours of being considered for the first time.

(continued)

#20519996 at 2024-03-05 09:00:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20334220
Linda Reynolds' defamation action could 'bankrupt' Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz

Samantha Maiden - March 5, 2024

1/2

Brittany Higgins has arrived at a Perth court for a marathon two-day mediation with her former boss Linda Reynolds.

The arrival sparked a media scrum as Ms Higgins walked behind her fianc?e David Sharaz who is also being sued for defamation by the Liberal Senator.

Ms Higgins and Senator Reynolds' legal teams will come face-to-face in Perth in a court-ordered mediation over the former Defence Minister's defamation case amid judicial warnings over the "human cost" of the legal battle.

Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz flew into Perth on Monday night, their first return visit to Australia since they moved to France before Christmas.

For almost a year, the former defence minister has been pursuing legal action against Ms Higgins and her fiance, for damages, as well as aggravated damages.

Senator Reynolds' legal team has argued she has been left highly distressed by online trolling, and alleged that Mr Sharaz had been "a constant participant" in that trolling.

Her legal team has argued that his social media posts falsely suggested that Senator Reynolds pressured Ms Higgins not to proceed with a genuine complaint to police; has bullied her in public including over her compensation payout, "is a hypocrite in her advocacy for women's interests and empowerment"; and interfered in Bruce Lehrmann's trial.

Legal sources say the costs associated with the proceedings had the potential to bankrupt Mr Sharaz, who has not been in full-time work since he suddenly left his role at Southern Cross Austereo a fortnight after defamation action was taken against him by Senator Reynolds last year.

His resignation was conducted on mutual terms with SCA in February, 2023.

It's expected both women - the former defence minister and her former staffer - will remain in separate rooms while the legal teams negotiate.

The former defence minister is suing her former junior staffer, who alleges she was raped on Senator Reynolds' ministerial couch, for defamation over social media posts regarding the alleged rape and her workplace treatment.

Mr Lehrmann was charged but never convicted over the allegations before the trial collapsed and the charge withdrawn by the former Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Mr Lehrmann maintains his innocence.

Judge Marcus Solomon has urged all parties to settle the matter to avoid the "crippling" or even "insurmountable human cost".

Ms Higgins has continued to comment on social media about her alleged mistreatment in the office of her former boss, who has sought French legal advice over freezing the former staffer's assets.

"I'm not the same naive 25-year-old girl from Parliament House," Ms Higgins wrote in response. "You don't scare me anymore and I won't be bullied."

Ms Higgins told reporters that Perth was a beautiful, but difficult place to come back to and she believed that "everyone's acting in good faith".

A smiling Senator Reynolds arrived with her partner, former journalist Robert Reid, who watched the trial of Bruce Lehrmann in Canberra.

His presence in the courtroom later prompted former Director of Public Prosecutions Shan Drumgold to cross examine her over the matter and a subsequent separate defamation claim.

Senator Reynolds declined to comment, telling reporters she would save any response for after the mediation.

On Monday, the ACT Government confirmed it paid $90,000 to Senator Reynolds following a claim for defamation, which was split between $20,000 for legal costs and $70,000 for damages.

It followed the former DPP's claim that she engaged in "disturbing conduct" in a letter to the ACT police commissioner that was later released under freedom of information laws.

In the letter, Mr Drumgold said Senator Reynolds' partner was regularly seen conferencing with Lehrmann's defence "during the course of the entire trial".

"During the conduct of the trial, a number of disturbing events have occurred, including prosecution witness [redacted] firstly giving evidence directly contradictory to her chief of staff, then directly soliciting transcripts of other evidence to tailor her evidence direct from the defence barrister Steven Whybrow," he said.

Mr Whybrow did not provide the texts to Senator Reynolds and she told the court during the cross examination that her partner was in the courtroom but denied they had discussed the evidence, saying it had been made "very clear" to her that was not acceptable.

(continued)

#20514482 at 2024-03-04 08:04:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405643
Walter Sofronoff displayed 'apprehension of bias' while probing Shane Drumgold: judge

ELLIE DUDLEY - MARCH 4, 2024

1/2

Former judge Walter Sofronoff's conduct during an inquiry into the behaviour of former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold while prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann gave rise to "a reasonable apprehension of bias", a judge has found.

Acting Justice Stephen Kaye on Monday said Mr Sofronoff may have been "influenced" by the views of The Australian's columnist Janet Albrechtsen through his communications with her while conducting the inquiry that ended Mr Drumgold's career.

However, he upheld almost all the findings in Mr Sofronoff's report of serious misconduct by Mr Drumgold that the former prosecutor had claimed were unsound.

The findings Justice Kaye upheld included: that Mr Drumgold betrayed the trust of his junior staff members, directed a junior lawyer to make a misleading affidavit, lied to ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum and failed in his duty to advise TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson against giving a Logies speech that would consequently delay the trial.

He also upheld Mr Sofronoff's findings that Mr Drumgold "deliberately advanced a false claim of legal professional privilege" and "tried to use dishonest means to prevent a person he was prosecuting from lawfully obtaining material".

Justice Kaye ruled Mr Sofronoff's finding that Mr Drumgold displayed "grossly unethical" conduct in his cross-examination of Senator Linda Reynolds was "legally unreasonable" and upheld Mr Drumgold's claim.

Mr Drumgold launched legal action in the ACT Supreme Court against the ACT government and Mr Sofronoff's inquiry last year, challenging findings in the inquiry's final report that he was in breach of his duties while prosecuting allegations that Mr Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins on a couch in Parliament House.

Mr Sofronoff's report found Mr Drumgold intentionally directed a junior lawyer in his office to make a misleading affidavit and, in doing so, "egregiously abused his authority and betrayed the trust of his young staff member".

Mr Sofronoff said he was "deeply disturbed" by Mr Drumgold's ignorance of ethical principles and accused him of a "Pilate-like detachment", finding Mr Drumgold treated criminal litigation as "a poker game" in which the prosecutor "can hide the cards".

His report vindicated police involved in investigating Ms Higgins's claims as having "performed their duties in absolute good faith".

On Monday Justice Kaye agreed that Mr Sofronoff had afforded Mr Drumgold natural justice when finding that Mr Drumgold had breached his duty as a prosecutor when he read Ms Higgins' counselling notes; and that Mr Drumgold had "shamefully" tried to falsely blame an employee for the release of a letter under a freedom of information (FOI) application to The Guardian.

However, Mr Sofronoff had failed to afford Mr Drumgold natural justice when finding he made "false" statements to the chief police officer about the release of the letter, Justice Kaye said.

"It is appropriate to grant declaratory relief reflecting the conclusions that I have just stated," Justice Kaye told the court.

The ACT government was instructed to pay Mr Drumgold's costs.

(continued)

#20514473 at 2024-03-04 07:58:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405643
ACT pays price for Drumgold's trial slur against Reynolds

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - March 3, 2024

1/2

The ACT government has apologised to former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds and paid $90,000 in damages and legal costs over accusations by former chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold during Bruce Lehrmann's rape case that the senator had engaged in "disturbing conduct" that included political interference in the police investigation.

Senator Reynolds launched defamation action in December in the wake of findings by the ?Sofronoff board of inquiry that Mr Drumgold's allegations against her were baseless and "grossly unethical".

The settlement is believed to be the fifth successful legal action by the former defence minister over allegations against her, with a further case against Brittany Higgins and her partner, David Sharaz, over comments they made on social media to be resolved.

Senator Reynolds will come face to face with her former employee on Tuesday with two days of mediation talks scheduled in Perth to try to avert a possible six-week trial in July.

She is suing Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz in separate defamation proceedings, with both being dealt with concurrently. It is the first visit back to Australia for Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz since they left for a new life in France last year.

Senator Reynolds told The Australian that since the conclusion of Mr Lehrmann's criminal trial and Ms Higgins' $2.4m compensation settlement with the commonwealth, she had "set about vindicating my reputation, which I consider has been wrongly damaged".

"The ACT has accepted the findings of the board of inquiry, specifically that allegations made about my conduct during the criminal trial were defamatory."

The ACT government "unreservedly retracts those allegations ... (and) sincerely apologises for the damage, distress and embarrassment it has caused to Senator Reynolds", the ACT Director-General of the Justice and Community Safety said in a statement.

The ACT paid her $70,000 in damages and $20,000 in legal costs over the defamatory comments by the former DPP.

The defamation claim focused on a letter Mr Drumgold wrote to ACT Chief Police Officer Neil Gaughan in November 2022 making allegations about political interference in the investigation and trial of Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold also claimed Senator Reynolds had coached Mr Lehrmann's defence team and attempted to solicit transcripts of the trial.

The then-ACT director of public prosecutions gave the letter to The Guardian newspaper, a move that helped spark the Sofronoff inquiry and ultimately brought Mr Drumgold's own career to an end.

At the trial, Mr Drumgold told the jury that "political forces" explained the delay in Ms Higgins's complaint to the police, and that "it is abundantly clear from the evidence and ?actions of Senator Reynolds during this trial that those political forces were still a factor".

Mr Sofronoff found that "there was not a single piece of evidence that anyone had applied pressure upon Ms Higgins that could legitimately be described as 'strong political forces'".

(continued)

#20498547 at 2024-03-01 11:13:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Higgins' claims in $2.4m payout contradicted by her own evidence: lawyers

STEPHEN RICE - MARCH 1, 2024

1/2

Brittany Higgins made 11 separate representations about her alleged rape in her $2.4m settlement with the commonwealth which were either false or contradicted by her own evidence in the defamation case brought by Bruce Lehrmann, his lawyers have claimed.

In newly released submissions by the parties to the case, Mr Lehrmann's lawyers set out a detailed comparison of the claims Ms Higgins made in the Commonwealth deed, signed in December 2022, with her evidence in the still-to-be-decided defamation case.

The Albanese government paid Ms Higgins $2.445m in a settlement that relied entirely on her version of events, after a single-day ?mediation that excluded evidence from her former boss, then ?defence industry minister Linda Reynolds.

Earlier this year, The Australian revealed that the National Anti-Corruption Commission was examining a complaint by Senator Reynolds against Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over his handling of the Higgins settlement, to determine if an investigation should be launched.

Among the claims made by Ms Higgins in the settlement deed, but disputed in a submission by Mr Lehrmann's legal team, led by Steven Whybrow SC:

- that Mr Lehrmann got into Ms Higgins' taxi on the night of the alleged rape without her agreement (she testified she had agreed);

- that he directed the cab to stop at Parliament House without her agreement (she gave evidence that she "just went along with it");

- that he directed her to get out of the cab (she testified that "I don't know why, but when it stopped I got out too");

- that they didn't speak on the Monday afterwards (they had coffee and exchanged emails).

Mr Lehrmann's lawyers also point to claims made in the deed which have been strongly disputed in evidence, including that Ms Higgins told Senator Reynolds' then chief of staff Fiona Brown that he had sexually assaulted her, an allegation always vehemently denied by Ms Brown.

They also pointed to a claim by Ms Higgins that on 11 April 2019, Ms Brown said it was Ms Higgins' problem to deal with the issue of sick leave for her mental health and also needing time off work to assist the AFP in its investigation.

By that date Ms Brown was no longer an active Chief of Staff, Mr Lehrmann's lawyers noted, "let alone the unbelievable aspect of the supposed response to such a request for help with sick leave due to mental health issues".

Ms Higgins' evidence in the defamation case was that by 3 April 2019, Ms Brown "just disappeared ...she left" and that by 5 April 2019 she had "stopped being our acting chief of staff".

In the Deed, Ms Higgins claimed that: "Ms Brown made it clear by her words and demeanour that the events of 22/23 March 2019 must be put to one side; that (Ms Higgins) ought remain silent about the sexual assault, in order to keep her job/career".

In the defamation case, Ms Higgins struggled to answer questions from Justice Michael Lee about anything Ms Brown had said, as opposed to what Ms Higgins "felt", that indicated she should be silent about the alleged rape.

(continued)

#20477884 at 2024-02-26 08:12:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Bruce Lehrmann to face committal hearing in June for Toowoomba rape case

Cloe Read - February 26, 2024

Bruce Lehrmann, who has been charged with two counts of raping a woman in Queensland in 2021, will face a committal hearing in June, with his lawyers to cross-examine witnesses.

The former federal Liberal Party staffer was charged last year, and his case has since had several mentions at a local court west of Brisbane.

The Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday heard prosecutors and Lehrmann's defence barrister, Patrick Wilson, had agreed to set the date for a half-day committal hearing on June 17.

Lehrmann, 28, is facing two counts of raping a woman, who he allegedly met in a nightclub weeks after he first appeared in a Canberra court over unrelated allegations he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House.

He was committed to stand trial over the Canberra case in late 2021, but the trial was later aborted and the charge against him was dropped. Lehrmann has denied the allegations.

The alleged victim in the Toowoomba case made a complaint in November 2021, telling police she had read about Lehrmann online in the weeks after the incident.

She told police she and Lehrmann initially had consensual sex. But later, Lehrmann removed a condom without her permission and raped her twice.

After he was charged, Lehrmann's legal team fought to keep his identity secret, but his name was revealed in October after Supreme Court judge Peter Applegarth lifted a suppression order.

Lehrmann's lawyers have indicated he will plead not guilty.

On Monday, Wilson told the Toowoomba Magistrates Court the matter had initially been listed for a directions hearing, but following agreement between the prosecution and defence, the court could hear from witnesses in June.

Wilson said he had proposals that may lead to the matter moving through the court expeditiously.

Parties were ordered to file a draft order of the scope of cross-examination by Friday.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/queensland/Bruce-Lehrmann-to-face-committal-hearing-in-june-for-toowoomba-rape-case-20240226-p5f7pq.html

#20444991 at 2024-02-20 08:39:03 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405635
Bruce Lehrmann files complaint against Ten lawyer Tasha Smithies over Lisa Wilkinson advice

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 20, 2024

1/2

Bruce Lehrmann has lodged a complaint of professional mis?conduct with the NSW legal watchdog against the Ten Network's most senior lawyer, alleging her advice to Lisa Wilkinson contributed to the long delay in his criminal trial.

In his complaint to the NSW Legal Services Commissioner, Mr Lehrmann alleges Ten's senior litigation counsel Tasha Smithies "has displayed legal conduct that is wholly inadequate to uphold the fundamental principles of the rule of law".

Mr Lehrmann claims that conduct began in June 2022, when Ms Smithies advised Wilkinson that she could give the Logies speech that caused his trial for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins to be stayed, through to last week, when she gave sworn evidence in Wilkinson's claim against Ten for her legal costs.

Mr Lehrmann launched defamation proceedings against both Ten and Wilkinson, but the network's former star believed it was not properly representing her interests and hired her own legal team, led by Sue Chrysanthou SC.

The network last week accepted it was reasonable for Wilkinson's to have hired her own legal team, at a cost now expected to exceed $1m, and abandoned its defence against her cross-claim.

In his complaint against Ms Smithies, Mr Lehrmann says that "not only was her advice to Ms Wilkinson (as tendered in the Federal Court) evidence of a dereliction of her legal obligations but particularly egregious against her legal duty when an ongoing court matter is afoot, especially one of a criminal nature when liberty is at stake".

Ms Smithies' conduct "largely contributed" to his criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court being ?vacated by Chief Justice Lucy McCallum, he is claiming.

"Ms Smithies displayed a contempt for the cross-claim proceedings, doubling down on her affidavit evidence that her advice to give the speech was proper and appropriate, yet it resulted in a contempt of court being committed in the ACT," Mr Lehrmann's claim states.

It should be noted that while Chief Justice McCallum was withering in her criticism of the Logies speech, no contempt charges were laid against Wilkinson or anyone else involved. However, Justice Michael Lee said in court last week that it was "of some surprise to me in the circumstances" to learn that the then Director of Public Prosecutions had advised Network Ten lawyers that he was not going to press for contempt proceedings to be commenced.

During the defamation proceedings last year, Justice Lee made scathing comments about Ten's failure to waive legal professional privilege over its advice to Wilkinson, meaning it was difficult for him to decide whether it was reasonable for her to have made the speech.

"It is inconceivable to me that any legally qualified person could have given advice ... that a Crown witness saying what was said in that Logies speech was anything other than inadvisable and inappropriate," Justice Lee said in ?December.

"Now, that causes a difficulty in circumstances where I can't see the legal advice," he said.

"I think I have to think that a solicitor would give rational advice, or advice that someone who did a first-year criminal law course would give."

(continued)

#20422741 at 2024-02-16 12:08:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20359645
Sharaz tipped off Wilkinson about end of rape trial

Lisa Wilkinson had advance warning Shane Drumgold was about to abandon the Bruce Lehrmann trial - allegedly thanks to a tip off from Brittany Higgins' partner, David Sharaz.

STEPHEN RICE - February 16, 2024

1/2

Lisa Wilkinson had advance knowledge that ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold was about to abandon the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial because of concerns over Brittany Higgins' mental health - allegedly thanks to a tip off from Higgins' partner, David Sharaz.

Newly released documents from the Federal Court suggest that on the morning of 1 December 2022, Ms Wilkinson learnt from Mr Sharaz that Mr Drumgold would be bringing the Lehrmann prosecution to an end the following day.

The veteran TV presenter immediately emailed her colleagues at Ten passing on details of the announcement Mr Drumgold would be making - even though the prosecutor had refused that morning to tell Mr Lehrmann's own lawyer, Steven Whybrow, what he planned to say, according to Mr Whybrow's evidence to the Sofronoff inquiry.

At 9.30am on the day before the announcement, Mr Drumgold and Mr Whybrow met in the chambers of the Chief Justice, Lucy McCallum, where Mr Drumgold said he had received medical reports from two doctors to the effect that "if Ms Higgins was required to give evidence again, in a retrial, she would die."

Mr Drumgold said he would make an announcement the next morning discontinuing the prosecution. When Mr Whybrow asked what he intended to say, the chief justice told him that was "really not my concern", according to Mr Whybrow's evidence to the Sofronoff inquiry.

Mr Drumgold then said: "Nobody else knows about this decision and I want this news to be, in effect, completely embargoed until I announce it tomorrow," according to Mr Whybrow.

At 11.07am that morning Ms Wilkinson emailed Ten lawyers and network boss Beverley McGarvey:

"I have just heard, confidentially, from Brittany Higgins' partner, David Sharaz, that the DPP is making a statement at 10am tomorrow declaring that he has "had advice from two independent medical experts that the life of the complainant in the Bruce Lehrmann case is at serious risk."

The email goes on to quote the words Mr Drumgold intended to use in declaring the prosecution at an end.

"Whilst the pursuit of justice is vital, the safety of a complainant in a sexual assault matter must be paramount. And so in balancing all factors, it is no longer in the public interest to pursue prosecution at the risk of a complainant's life and I have filed a notice declining to proceed further. That brings this prosecution to an end."

Ms Wilkinson then says: "David told me that Brittany is going into hospital today to keep her safe and to escape the media storm this will create."

(continued)

#20417071 at 2024-02-15 08:49:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405635
Lisa Wilkinson's big win in Network Ten cost proceedings

JOANNA PANAGOPOULOS - FEBRUARY 15, 2024

1/2

Lisa Wilkinson has won the battle with the Ten Network over her million-dollar legal bills, although exactly how much it will be required to pay rests on who wins the defamation case brought by Bruce Lehrmann - a verdict not expected until at least next month.

The Federal Court heard Wilkinson's long-held position had been "vindicated" with a finding by judge Michael Lee that it was "reasonable" for her to engage her own legal representation in the defamation proceedings.

Wilkinson spent the previous two days arguing that Ten's interests in the defamation case were not aligned with her own, and that the network had tried to save face by not revealing publicly that it had endorsed and then legally signed off on her Logies speech, while she alone was left with the blame for derailing Mr Lehrmann's rape trial.

On Wednesday, Ten was ordered to pay her legal bills. Her overall costs claim has been stood over until Justice Lee hands down his full defamation judgment in March or early April.

Wilkinson's legal costs, which had reached $700,000 in September last year, could now exceed well over $1m.

If Mr Lehrmann loses the defamation proceedings, he could be liable for Ten's legal fees but as an unemployed law student, his ability to pay is in doubt.

Justice Lee, in handing down his judgment, said it was a "completely uncontroversial" conclusion that although in a typical case for defamation the interests of a media corporation were closely aligned with the employee journalist's interests, differences had emerged between Wilkinson and Ten over the Logies speech.

It was unlikely Ten would be trying to protect her reputation "given the current employment situation", Justice Lee said.

"It seems to me plain beyond peradventure in all circumstances it was reasonable for Ms Wilkinson to retain separate lawyers," he concluded.

At 2pm on Wednesday, two days into the hearing for the year-long costs proceedings, Ten suddenly dropped its claim that it was unreasonable for their former employee to hire her own legal representation.

Wilkinson's barrister, Michael Elliott SC, called the backdown "an embarrassment, under which we had been led on a merry dance right back to where we started, almost a year ago".

Mr Elliott said Ten had taken the position that "we don't have to pay you a brass razoo because you're separately represented", which he said was the basis for seeking "not just an order for costs but an order for indemnity costs".

(continued)

#20411150 at 2024-02-14 08:59:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405643
'Albrechtsen asked more questions': Inquiry chair denies special treatment for journalist

Angus Thompson - February 14, 2024

The lawyer for Lehrmann inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC denied his client gave preferential treatment to The Australian columnist Janet Albrechtsen during the judicial probe, instead saying she just asked more questions than other journalists.

Brendan Lim, acting for the former Queensland Supreme Court judge, said Sofronoff had engaged with all journalists who approached him with legitimate requests throughout last year's inquiry into authorities' handling of the abandoned rape trial of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

"Ms Albrechtsen was the most persistent of the journalists, but that didn't reflect preferential treatment on his part," Lim told the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday. "The fact that Ms Albrechtsen asked more questions than any other journalist is really beside the point - the fact is there was no preferential treatment."

Former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold is fighting to invalidate Sofronoff's report, which contains several findings against him, including that he misled the court, questioned a witness inappropriately, and preyed on his junior solicitor's inexperience in having him draft an affidavit supporting a wrongful legal privilege claim.

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to the alleged rape of his colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House after a night out in March 2019. The trial was abandoned in October 2022 due to juror misconduct and Lehrmann maintains his innocence.

The ACT government launched an inquiry into the handling of the criminal case after Drumgold accused police of trying to undermine the prosecution. However, in his report Sofronoff made several findings against Drumgold, which the latter is seeking to void, largely on the basis the chair held apprehended bias against him.

While challenging a raft of claims put by Drumgold about the fairness and reasonableness of the findings, Kate Eastman, SC, acting for the territory government, told the Supreme Court the prosecutor became "significantly and medically unwell" while giving evidence in the inquiry.

Drumgold had withdrawn from giving evidence before his fifth day in the witness box, with the inquiry later determining he didn't need to be recalled. "[It] could be detrimental to my current state of health to be subject to the ongoing pressures of giving evidence," Eastman quoted Drumgold as stating at the time.

The ACT's legal team said, despite this, he was given the opportunity to respond to certain allegations via written means.

Dan O'Gorman, SC, acting for Drumgold, told the court on Tuesday the chair and Albrechtsen had extensive contact over several months over the phone, email, and even over lunch at a Brisbane restaurant, contributing to the perception that Sofronoff's mind had been "poisoned" against Drumgold.

Framing O'Gorman's argument, Justice Stephen Kaye said, "A fair-minded observer might apprehend that Ms Albrechtsen had bias because of her basic view of the prosecution [and had] infected that bias onto Mr Sofronoff," to which O'Gorman replied, "precisely".

But on Wednesday, Eastman told the court it was a "novel claim" with no foundation to the argument Albrechtsen held demonstrable bias or that Sofronoff was influenced by it, and said many of the articles raised by O'Gorman showed the journalist was merely reporting on the opinions of others.

"We don't dispute that the plaintiff [Drumgold] was very distressed by that coverage, and he considered himself to be adversely targeted by The Australian and Ms Albrechtsen in particular, but ... the plaintiff is a fair-minded observer," Eastman said.

Eastman said O'Gorman had done little to "demonstrate a logical connection" between Albrechtsen's alleged bias and Sofronoff's own views, saying there was no evidence that the chair had read or was interested in reading the journalist's articles.

"There's nothing to support the allegation that the first defendant [Sofronoff] was infected or poisoned," she said.

O'Gorman also argued a text Sofronoff sent to Albrechtsen disparaging an element of Drumgold's conduct two days before the prosecutor was due to give evidence in a public hearing was evidence the chair had set his mind against Drumgold.

However, Eastman said this assertion ignored the greater context of the inquiry, including that Drumgold had already participated in a private interview with the inquiry, submitted a statement, and had "numerous opportunities" to explain his conduct.

Justin Greggery, acting for ACT Policing officers who were involved in the inquiry, also described the text as "truly uncontentious".

The hearing continues.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/novel-claim-act-denies-journalist-s-bias-in-drumgold-case-20240214-p5f4wx.html

#20411134 at 2024-02-14 08:51:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405635
'I begged Ten to own up on Logies speech', says Lisa Wilkinson

STEPHEN RICE and JOANNA PANAGOPOULOS - FEBRUARY 14, 2024

1/2

Lisa Wilkinson has recounted how she begged Network Ten to reveal she had acted on legal advice in giving her Logies speech, as the lawyer who had given the speech the OK told the court she was "not embarrassed" by it.

Wilkinson said the media believed she made the Logies speech "off the top of her head" and she had spent months pushing Ten to publicly state that their legal team had signed off on the contents of the speech. "They had asked me to give the speech, they had been involved in legalling that speech right up until 4.37pm on the afternoon of the Logies," Wilkinson told the Federal Court.

"That speech had also been approved by the CEO Ms (Beverly) McGarvey. It had also been approved by the head of Network communications Ms Cat Donovan; all of them had approved the speech, but I was the one that was accused ... me alone, of derailing the rape case."

The former host of The Project was giving evidence in a Federal Court hearing to determine who should cover her million-dollar legal costs in the defamation action brought by Bruce Lehrmann against her and Ten.

Ten agrees it has to cover any damages claim awarded against Wilkinson but says it is not reasonable for her to have her own silk, Sue Chrysanthou SC, when the network is already represented in the case by defamation barrister Matt Collins KC.

Wilkinson has argued that Ten was more concerned about protecting its own interests than hers, while Ten filed a submission claiming their interests were "wholly aligned".

"I wanted them to look after my legal interests," Wilkinson told the court on Tuesday. "That was my primary concern and it was becoming increasingly obvious to me that my concerns were different to Network Ten's."

In an affidavit filed with the court, Wilkinson said she was "devastated" at being taken off air in the aftermath of the Logies controversy. "I was shocked, embarrassed and deeply disappointed by Ms McGarvey's decision to remove me from The Project.

"It signified to me that Ten had no real interest in publicly correcting any of the damage done to me and my reputation and were now only making it worse."

The Logies speech had been described at the time as "beautiful" in a text from Ms McGarvey.

At a meeting with Ten's most senior litigation counsel Tasha Smithies days before the Logie awards, Ms Smithies had requested Wilkinson delete a reference to a specific date in her speech but otherwise "Ms Smithies told me that she did not require any other changes", Wilkinson said in her affidavit.

She said she later told Sarah Thornton (executive producer of The Project) to ask Ms Smithies to review it one more time and that Ms Thornton sent her a text saying "Tasha says speech all good".

Giving evidence in court on Tuesday, Ms Smithies accepted that she twice gave Wilkinson advice that the Logies speech was "OK" but said she was "not professionally or personally embarrassed" by the advice.

Wilkinson's lawyer, Michael Elliot SC, suggested the "last thing" Ms Smithies wanted to do was to "publicly admit the Logies speech - which was deemed so prejudicial that Mr Lehrmann's rape trial was delayed by several months - had been given following legal advice given by herself.

Ms Smithies said she "wouldn't have had a problem" if it was publicly known she had given Wilkinson the all clear for the speech.

Mr Elliot: "It would be a matter of very substantial and obvious personal embarrassment for you. Correct?"

Ms Smithies: "I do not accept that. I am not professionally or personally embarrassed by the advice I provided Ms Wilkinson."

(continued)

#20405655 at 2024-02-13 09:13:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405643
Walter Sofronoff's mind 'poisoned' against Shane Drumgold: court claim

ELLIE DUDLEY - FEBRUARY 13, 2024

1/2

Walter Sofronoff KC "poisoned his mind" against former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold while conducting inquiry into the handling of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial, a court has heard.

The ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday morning heard allegations that Mr Sofronoff was influenced by frequent communication with The Australian's columnist Janet Albrechtsen, who Mr Drumgold's lawyers claim favoured Mr Lehrmann in her coverage of his prosecution, while writing "negative" stories about Mr Drumgold's conduct during the case.

Mr Drumgold launched legal action against the ACT government and Mr Sofronoff's inquiry last year, challenging findings in the inquiry's final report that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly ?unethical conduct during Mr Lehrmann's trial for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.

Mr Sofronoff's report found Mr Drumgold betrayed a junior lawyer who trusted him, acted with "Pilate-like detachment" during the trial, and treated criminal litigation as "a poker game".

It also vindicated police officers involved in investigating Ms Higgins' claims, as having "performed their duties in absolute good faith".

He is seeking a declaration that the report is invalid.

The court on Tuesday heard Mr Drumgold planned to abandon a claim that Mr Sofronoff acted improperly when he giving his report to media outlets under embargo before the ACT government made the findings public.

Instead, Mr Drumgold will rely on an allegation that Mr Sofronoff exhibited an "apprehended bias" in engaging in an unreasonable relationship with Ms Albrechtsen, who was writing consistently "adverse" stories about Mr Drumgold.

"What Mr Drumgold alleges is that Mr Sofronoff's association with Ms Albrechtsen in particular, might be thought by the fair minded observer to have possibly diverted Mr Sofronoff enough from deciding the issues in his terms of reference on their merit," Mr Drumgold's barrister, Dan O'Gorman SC, told the court in his opening submission.

The court heard Ms Albrechtsen was first introduced to Mr Sofronoff in February 2023 by her colleague, journalist Hedley Thomas, who had a pre-existing relationship with Mr Sofronoff but was not involved in reporting on the Lehrmann matter.

Mr O'Gorman read out snippets from articles Ms Albrechtsen had written, which he claimed were unfavourable to Mr Drumgold.

"Ms Albrechtsen published a number of articles from November 2022 that were adverse to Mr Drumgold. They cast him in a negative light by impugning his character and credibility," he said.

"But while doing that she was also casting Mr Lehmann, the defendant, who was, in effect the subject of inquiry, in a favourable way."

(continued)

#20405648 at 2024-02-13 09:07:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20405643
Journalist 'infected' Lehrmann inquiry chair's findings against prosecutor, court hears

Angus Thompson - February 13, 2024

1/2

Journalist for The Australian Janet Albrechtsen "infected" Walter Sofronoff, KC, the chair of the inquiry into the botched prosecution of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann, with bias against former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold, a court has been told.

The allegations were made by Drumgold's lawyer in court in his bid to overturn findings against his client made in the high-profile probe into the Lehrmann trial.

Drumgold's lawyer Dan O'Gorman, SC, said the journalist and chair had extensive "off-the-record" contact over several months, which included 51 phone calls, texts and messages from Sofronoff's private email address. Albrechtsen even flew to Brisbane to have lunch with Sofronoff at a restaurant of his choosing.

"There's no evidence to suggest that any other journalist was extended the privilege of a private luncheon with Mr Sofronoff," O'Gorman said, adding that Albrechtsen was receiving favourable treatment.

Drumgold is seeking to overturn several findings against him made by Sofronoff in his inquiry and alleges Sofronoff had an apprehended bias against him.

O'Gorman told ACT Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kaye on Tuesday that following the abandoned prosecution of Lehrmann, Albrechtsen had taken "continuing digs ... article after article" against Drumgold, while portraying Lehrmann in a favourable light.

"A fair-minded observer might apprehend that Ms Albrechtsen had bias because of her basic view of the prosecution [and had] infected that bias onto Mr Sofronoff," Kaye said of O'Gorman's argument, to which Drumgold's lawyer replied, "precisely".

"We say that Mr S[ofronoff]'s impartiality might have been compromised by something said in the course of his communications with Ms Albrechtsen or by some aspect of the personal relationship exemplified by the communications," O'Gorman said.

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to the alleged rape of his colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House after a night out with colleagues in March 2019. The trial was abandoned in October 2022 due to juror misconduct and Lehrmann maintains his innocence.

The ACT government launched an inquiry into the case after Drumgold accused police of trying to undermine the prosecution. However, in his report Sofronoff made several findings against Drumgold, which the latter is seeking to overturn.

On the first day of hearings into the challenge, O'Gorman said journalist for The Australian Hedley Thomas introduced Albrechtsen and Sofronoff in February 2023, telling Sofronoff that Albrechtsen would be "happy to collate her writings for you and your inquiry".

"It's those words that are really disturbing in our submission," O'Gorman said.

He told the court the "only real inference" that could be taken was that Albrechtsen was happy to provide her reports that were adverse to Drumgold and positive for Lehrmann.

"I think it would be fair to speculate that Janet's relationship with the defence team in the [Lehrmann] case would be much more rosy than the DPP," O'Gorman quoted Thomas as saying.

(continued)

#20405643 at 2024-02-13 09:03:00 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20334205
Sofronoff, Drumgold showdown to kick off in court

The opening salvos of a legal fight are about to begin, as former DPP Shane Drumgold begins a campaign he hopes will reinstate his reputation, and possibly catapult him back into his old job.

ELLIE DUDLEY - February 12, 2024

The first day of a legal throwdown brought by former ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC against the inquiry that ended his career will be heard in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday, in a battle the disgraced prosecutor hopes will reinstate his reputation and possibly catapult him back into his old job.

Mr Drumgold launched legal action against the ACT government and the inquiry, chaired by Walter Sofronoff KC, last year, challenging findings in the final report that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly ?unethical conduct during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

Mr Sofronoff's report - from an inquiry Mr Drumgold called for - found Mr Drumgold betrayed a junior lawyer who trusted him, acted with "Pilate-like detachment" during the trial, and treated criminal litigation as "a poker game".

Mr Drumgold has conceded he made mistakes in the case but ?rejects the key findings of the inquiry that he had lied to the ?Supreme Court and engaged in serious misconduct.

He has also taken issue with the fact Mr Sofronoff gave his report to The Australian and the ABC under embargo before the ACT government made the findings public, alleging Mr ?Sofronoff failed to comply with s. 17 of the ACT Inquiries Act.

As such, he has taken the matter to the ACT Supreme Court claiming to have been denied procedural fairness, and is seeking a declaration that the report and its decisions are invalid.

The matter will be heard before Victorian Supreme Court judge Stephen Kaye because of a conflict of interest issue preventing it from being heard by a judge in Mr Drumgold's jurisdiction.

In January, the court heard Mr Drumgold would attempt to prove Mr Sofronoff engaged in an "unreasonable" relationship with The Australian's columnist Janet Albrechtsen while he was conducting the inquiry.

Mr Drumgold's lawyer, Dan O'Gorman SC, wished to submit evidence of text messages, phone calls and emails between Mr Sof?ronoff and Albrechtsen, which he says speak to the "unreasonableness" of their relationship while the inquiry was conducted.

"We say the apprehended bias arises in this way - in the months leading up to and during the inquiry, Ms Albrechtsen was writing numerous articles ... critical of Mr Drumgold," Mr O'Gorman told the court.

He continued: "A comparison is made of communications Mr Sofronoff had with Ms Albrechtsen in particular and with other journalists. We point out that Mr Sofronoff made 65 telephone calls between Feb 9 and July 31, and ... 55 were with The Australian."

Mr Drumgold failed in a bid to strike out parts of Mr Sofronoff's affidavit explaining why he engaged with the media throughout the inquiry, including comments "his interest was to ensure the accurate coverage of the work of the inquiry so far as he was able to do so".

In mid-December, Justice Kaye allowed an application by six police officers seeking to uphold the inquiry's findings to be joined as defendants.

His report found that while investigating the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins, the police "performed their duties in absolute good faith".

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/shane-drumgold-walter-sofronoff-supreme-court-showdown-begins/news-story/5194a3268f64c24d81c9014776e7a44b

#20400702 at 2024-02-12 08:45:28 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
WA Liberal senator and former defence minister Linda Reynolds to quit politics

Keane Bourke - 12 February 2024

Former defence minister and WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has announced she'll stand down from politics at the next election.

Ms Reynolds was elected to the Senate in 2014, before being re-elected in 2016 and 2019.

She was first appointed to cabinet under the Morrison government as Minister for Defence Industry in 2019, before serving in several other portfolios.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Ms Reynolds said she would not seek Liberal Party pre-selection for another term beyond June 2025.

"For forty years I have proudly served my nation in the army, in the Liberal Party, in defence industry, in parliament and in government," she said.

"It is rare in politics to have the opportunity to choose the time and circumstances of your departure, and my decision has been made after considerable reflection of what is behind me and the opportunities that are now ahead of me."

Ms Reynolds went on to say the health of democracy and political parties could not be taken for granted.

"Both must be constantly renewed and strengthened," she wrote.

"I will of course keep working with my party to assist it to diversify and strengthen and do all I can to support the election of Peter Dutton as our next Prime Minister and Libby Mettam as WA's next Premier.

Higgins defamation case continues

Ms Reynolds is currently suing the ACT government, the territory's former top prosecutor and Brittany Higgins for defamation.

Ms Higgins claimed she was raped by a colleague in Senator Reynolds's ministerial office in 2019 and criticised her and her staff for failing to provide adequate support to her in the aftermath.

Ms Reynolds was hospitalised during the saga as a "precautionary measure" and took an extended absence from her role as then-Defence Minister.

She later apologised for and retracted a comment that Ms Higgins was a "lying cow", which she made on the day her former staffer went public with her allegation.

The legal action against Ms Higgins centres around two social media posts in which Ms Reynolds claims she was defamed.

The case against the ACT relates to a letter its former director of public prosecutions wrote to the Australian Federal Police during Bruce Lehrmann's now-abandoned rape trial.

No findings have been made against Mr Lehrmann who denied the accusations against him.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Simon Birmingham was the first high-profile Liberal to pay tribute to Ms Reynolds in the wake of her announcement.

In a statement, he paid tribute to Ms Reynolds's "dedicated service, leadership and advocacy".

"I look forward to continuing to serve alongside Linda for the remainder of her term and extend my deepest gratitude for her service to our country," he wrote.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-12/linda-reynolds-quitting-politics/103456906

https://www.facebook.com/LindaReynoldsWA/posts/921067286315720

#20365347 at 2024-02-06 08:05:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20334205
Shane Drumgold fails in bid to scrap 'irrelevant' evidence of Walter Sofronoff

ELLIE DUDLEY - FEBRUARY 6, 2024

1/2

Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold has failed in a bid to strike out evidence from Walter Sofronoff KC explaining why he engaged with the media throughout an inquiry into Mr Drumgold's conduct while prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann's rape case, with a Supreme Court judge ruling that the evidence could go some way to clarifying how contact with the press could have been "necessary or convenient for the fair and prompt conduct of the inquiry."

Mr Drumgold objected to parts of an affidavit sworn by Mr Sofronoff in which he says he informed a solicitor that he planned to make himself available to journalists throughout the inquiry to answer questions, and that "his interest was to ensure the accurate coverage of the work of the inquiry so far as he was able to do so."

The affidavit also reveals that The Australian's columnist Janet Albrechtsen contacted Mr Sofronoff after having received the inquiry's final report from him under embargo, to alert him to the fact that she and a colleague had obtained the report from another source and planned on publishing the following day.

Mr Drumgold launched legal action against the Sofronoff inquiry and the ACT government last year, challenging findings in the report that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly ?unethical conduct in Mr Lehrmann's trial, which led to his termination as the DPP.

After Mr Sofronoff's report was given to The Australian and the ABC under embargo, Mr Drumgold said he had been denied procedural fairness, alleging that Mr ?Sofronoff failed to comply with s. 17 of the ACT Inquiries Act, which provides that board members must not provide inquiry documents to others or communicate inquiry information ?except under provisions provided by the act.

As part of these proceedings, Mr Drumgold is seeking a declaration that the report and decisions are invalid. Mr Sofronoff denies the allegations against him.

With the matter set to be heard over three days next week, Mr Drumgold had made attempts to have parts of Mr Sofronoff's sworn affidavit deemed inadmissable. However Justice Stephen Kaye has rejected all of Mr Drumgold's objections bar one, and upheld the bulk of Mr Sofronoff's affidavit on the basis of relevance.

"I am not persuaded, at this point, that the contents of paragraphs 10 to 45 of the affidavit of Sofronoff are irrelevant. At the least, they give some content to the reason, given by Sofronoff, as to why, in the course of the inquiry in the present case, he actively engaged with the media and provided documents and other material to them," Justice Kaye wrote in the judgement.

"In essence, they provide some background to the explanation given by Sofronoff as to why he considered that his conduct, in providing the documentation and information to the media, constituted an exercise by him of a function under the Act (for the purposes of s. 17) and as to why he considered it necessary to engage in that manner with the media for the 'fair and prompt conduct of the inquiry'."

Mr Drumgold objected to parts of the affidavit that explained how Mr Sofronoff "recognised that the subject matter of the inquiry concerned public confidence in the criminal justice system" and he was of the view "that appropriate engagement with the media would be essential to the performance of the inquiry's functions."

He objected to one paragraph, on the basis that it is "vague and meaningless", in which Mr Sofronoff explained why it was important for journalists to understand "the real issues of the inquiry."

"The paragraph is relevant, because it provides some explanation as to why Sofronoff considered it necessary to provide some detailed information to the media as to the proceedings before the inquiry. As such, evidence is not sought to be adduced as opinion evidence," Justice Kaye wrote in the Judgement. "The passage in question is clear, and is not 'vague and meaningless', as contended by the plaintiff."

(continued)

#20359645 at 2024-02-05 09:10:56 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Lisa Wilkinson only had a 'limited role' in Brittany Higgins broadcast: court documents

ELLIE DUDLEY - FEBRUARY 5, 2024

1/2

Lisa Wilkinson's "limited role" in producing the final broadcast of Brittany Higgins' interview with The Project was simply to "read the pre-prepared script", new Federal Court documents from the veteran television presenter's lawyers show.

The documents, uploaded late on Friday afternoon as part of Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Wilkinson and Network Ten, also say it was "unsurprising" Wilkinson "had difficulty" giving evidence in the witness box because of her long-standing experience "in a professional environment which involves conversational style interviews and debates".

Ms Higgins's interview with Wilkinson, in which she detailed rape allegations against Mr Lehrmann but did not name him as the alleged attacker, is at the centre of a mammoth defamation case, which stretched over a five-week trial at the end of last year.

Mr Lehrmann denies raping Ms Higgins, and says no sexual ?activity ever took place.

Wilkinson's silk, Sue Chrysanthou SC, in final submissions tendered to the court, argued that she was simply a member of a "large and experienced team subject to the control and directions of the executives within Network Ten and the production"

"That Ms Wilkinson was an experienced journalist across a range of different mediums over many years does not change or affect her responsibility and role in the preparation, production and publication of the broadcast," the submissions read.

The submissions described Wilkinson as an "experienced presenter" and said any assertion that she was a senior journalist investigating Ms Higgins allegations was incorrect.

"Network Ten executive producer Ms (Sarah) Thornton did not identify in her unchallenged evidence Ms Wilkinson as one of the 'senior journalists' working behind the scenes to make sure the facts were right," the submissions read.

Ms Chrysanthou argued that it was unsurprising that Wilkinson did not check the metadata on a photo of a bruise on Ms Higgins's leg, which was shown during The Project interview.

Ms Higgins originally said during The Project that the bruise was a result of the alleged rape, but during the defamation trial said it could have occurred when she fell up the stairs at the 88mph bar earlier that evening.

Mr Lehrmann has maintained that Ms Higgins may have taken the bruise photo as late as January 2021, almost two years after the alleged rape occurred, due to the fact the image did not have any metadata proving otherwise.

Ms Chrysanthou said it was not shocking that Wilkinson did not "have regard" to the metadata of an image.

"It is unsurprising that a person who was a cadet journalist in 1978 would not have regard to photographic metadata," she wrote in the submissions.

"There is no evidence for the contention that most journalists are aware or should be aware of photographic metadata or have regard to such data (or that such data cannot be manipulated or is stable)."

(continued)

#20334220 at 2024-01-31 08:40:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20266894
Judge urges Brittany Higgins, David Sharaz, Linda Reynolds to settle defamation suit

ELLIE DUDLEY - JANUARY 31, 2024

A judge has again called on Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins and her fiance, David Sharaz, to do everything they can to settle their defamation dispute ahead of its upcoming mediation hearing.

The WA Liberal senator is suing the couple for defamation over comments made about her on social media, some of which, she says, imply she put pressure on Ms Higgins not to proceed with a police complaint regarding her alleged sexual assault and that she interfered with the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

One of the comments in question is a reply by Mr Sharaz on Facebook that questioned how Senator Reynolds was still in politics after she "destroyed" Ms Higgins. The commenter said: "You're a monster who deserves to be in jail." Mr Sharaz replied: "Thanks for reminding her. I hope she hears this every day until she dies."

Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz are defending themselves against the defamation claims.

In a WA Supreme Court hearing on Tuesday, Justice Marcus Solomon reiterated a plea to the parties to settle the matter in mediation in early March, having previously spoken to the "human cost of this litigation".

"I just wanted to take the opportunity to say, again, how important it is that the parties invest whatever they can to resolve this matter," he told the court.

Parties on Tuesday lined up a plan for a six-week trial in July, should the two-day mediation beginning on March 5 fail.

Senator Reynolds' legal team has issued subpoenas to related people including former The Project host Lisa Wilkinson, prominent journalist Samantha Maiden, Network Ten TV producer Angus Llewellyn and Labor senator Katy Gallagher.

Senator Gallagher came under fire last year after it emerged she had been invited to Mr Sharaz's first wedding and had learned of Ms Higgins' allegations before they were reported. She has denied doing anything with that information.

Senator Reynolds has also threatened to seek freeze orders against Ms Higgins, after she flew out of the country last month to start a new life in France with Mr Sharaz. A spokesperson from Senator Reynolds' office told The Australian she was "considering her position and awaiting advice from French counsel on her right to enforce an Australian judgment against assets in France".

Ms Higgins reportedly bought a home in a village in the south of France after her $2.4m compensation settlement with the commonwealth.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/judge-urges-brittany-higgins-david-sharaz-linda-reynolds-to-settle-defamation-suit/news-story/76f0ac8f87d10cbb6740dc8a10e5e1d0

#20334205 at 2024-01-31 08:34:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Shane Drumgold claims 'bias' in Walter Sofronoff inquiry

ELLIE DUDLEY - JANUARY 31, 2024

1/2

Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold will attempt to prove his allegation that Walter Sofronoff KC engaged in an "unreasonable" relationship with columnist Janet Albrechtsen and The Australian newspaper while he was conducting an inquiry into Mr Drumgold's conduct in prosecuting Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial.

However, Justice Stephen Kaye at a hearing on Wednesday said he would be "loathe" to allow the cross-examination of Mr Sofronoff when the matter is heard in mid-February, telling Mr Drumgold's lawyer the matter is not "a fishing expedition".

Mr Drumgold launched legal action against the Sofronoff inquiry and the ACT government last year, challenging findings in the report that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly ?unethical conduct in Mr Lehrmann's trial, which led to his termination as the DPP.

After Mr Sofronoff's report was leaked to the media - including to The Australian - Mr Drumgold said he had been denied procedural fairness.

Mr Drumgold alleges Mr ?Sofronoff failed to comply with s.17 of the ACT Inquiries Act, which provides that board members must not provide inquiry documents to others or communicate inquiry information ?except under provisions provided by the act.

As part of these proceedings, he is seeking a declaration that the report and decisions are invalid.

Mr Sofronoff denies the allegations against him.

The ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday heard Mr Drumgold's lawyer Dan O'Gorman SC wished to submit evidence of text messages, phone calls and emails between Mr Sofronoff and Ms Albrechtsen, which he says speak to the "unreasonableness" of their relationship while the inquiry was being conducted.

"We say that the apprehended bias arises in this way - that in the months leading up to and during the inquiry, Ms Albrechtsen was writing numerous articles which were critical of Mr Drumgold," Mr O'Gorman told the court.

He continued: "A comparison is made of communications Mr Sofronoff had with Ms Albrechtsen in particular and with other journalists. For example, we point out that Mr Sofronoff made 65 telephone calls between Feb 9 and July 31, and we outline how 55 were with The Australian and 10 with all other journalists."

"There was a total of 9 hours and 57 minutes (of phone calls) - 7 hours and 33 minutes with The Australian, therefore other journalists, one hour and 34 minutes," he said.

"During the actual public hearings, Mr Sofronoff made 10 calls to The Australian (journalists), eight to Ms Albrechtsen."

Mr O'Gorman said this evidence was key to proving Mr Sofronoff had an "apprehended bias" throughout the inquiry, and in proving he acted inappropriately when giving documents to members of the media.

"(If Mr Sofronoff says) what he was doing was carrying out a function of that of a member (of the inquiry) ... (we say) the education of journalists is not a function of a member," he said.

(continued)

#20266894 at 2024-01-19 14:22:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20103774
Reynolds recruits French counsel as Higgins, Sharaz lawsuit escalates

Jesinta Burton - January 19, 2024

WA Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has taken her defamation row with Brittany Higgins to her former staffer's new home country, engaging a French lawyer in her pursuit of a freezing order over Higgins' European assets.

For almost a year, the former defence minister has been pursuing Higgins and her partner, former press gallery journalist David Sharaz, for damages, as well as aggravated damages, over several social media posts she claims were defamatory of her.

Both Higgins and Sharaz are defending the defamation case.

The trio is due to come face-to-face in Western Australia's Supreme Court in May after Justice Marcus Solomon implored them to attempt to settle their rows out of court.

But the pair's move to the south of France to start a new life four weeks ago has seen the case take a turn, with Reynolds eager to safeguard her ability to obtain a financial remedy.

Higgins received $2.4 million under a settlement deal struck with the federal government, the details of which were laid bare in documents tendered as part of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten.

In December, Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett penned to Higgins' lawyer Leon Zwier a letter, obtained by this masthead, foreshadowing plans to issue freezing orders over the pair's assets and requesting urgent confirmation of their relocation.

Such an order, if granted by the court, would prevent the pair from parting with or shifting any of their assets until the case has been finalised.

Court documents show Reynolds' lawyers have not yet lodged an application for such orders.

But the pursuit is still very much afoot, with Reynolds' confirmation on Friday of her new recruits.

"I am considering my position and awaiting advice from French counsel on my right to enforce an Australian judgment against assets in France," she told WAtoday.

Higgins' lawyers at Arnold Bloch Leibler have been contacted for comment.

Reynolds wants damages and an injunction against Sharaz over five social media posts and is pursuing damages against Higgins over two social media posts in which she accused her former boss of using the media to harass her.

The Liberal Senator wants the court to issue two injunctions stopping Higgins from publishing defamatory material about her and preventing her from breaching a settlement deed the pair inked.

Channel 10, journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden, and Senator Katy Gallagher are among those to have been hit with subpoenas which may provide evidence for both cases.

A six-week trial has been listed for July in the event the mediation is not fruitful.

In 2021, Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

A criminal trial against Lehrmann, who has vehemently denied the allegations, was aborted last year due to juror misconduct before the charge was dropped, and a retrial was abandoned over fears for Higgins' mental health.

Higgins provided a glimpse into her new life in the Dordogne in an Instagram post on Wednesday captioned "Nous sommes nos choix", a quote by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre that translates as "We are our choices".

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/reynolds-recruits-french-counsel-as-higgins-sharaz-lawsuit-escalates-20240119-p5eyma.html?js-chunk-not-found-refresh=true

#20187793 at 2024-01-05 16:42:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Lehrmann lawyers call for 'substantial damages' even if court finds he lied about sex

Michaela Whitbourn - January 5, 2024

Bruce Lehrmann should still receive "substantial damages" in his defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson even if the Federal Court finds he lied when he said he did not have sex with Brittany Higgins, his barristers have told the court.

Federal Court Justice Michael Lee reserved his decision in the high-stakes defamation case on December 22 after a month-long trial. He will deliver his decision at a later date.

On Friday, the court released written submissions filed in December by barristers for Lehrmann, Ten and Wilkinson, which supplement the oral submissions delivered by the parties that month.

Lehrmann's lawyers said their client should receive damages if Lee found Lehrmann did have sex with Higgins in Parliament House but was not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that it was rape.

Truth defence

Lehrmann is suing Ten and Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins, aired on The Project on February 15, 2021, that he alleges defamed him by suggesting he was guilty of raping Higgins in March 2019 in the office of Liberal senator and then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, for whom the pair worked as advisers. One of the media parties' defences is truth.

Under the truth defence, Ten and Wilkinson must prove on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Higgins. This is lower than the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt.

'Substantial' damages warranted

In written submissions dated December 25, Lehrmann's barristers said their client should receive substantial damages if the court concluded that "intercourse probably happened ... and that Ms Higgins was not capable of consenting to it because of her state of intoxication, but that Mr Lehrmann did not have knowledge of her inability to consent", resulting in a finding that sex occurred but without a conclusion that Lehrmann raped Higgins.

"Even findings that extensive should not lead to an award of damages which is less than substantial," Lehrmann's barristers, including silks Steven Whybrow and Matthew Richardson, said.

"The distinction between findings of that kind and a finding that rape occurred … is real and significant."

Lehrmann has maintained he had no sexual contact with Higgins at all on the night in question, including during his ACT Supreme Court criminal trial, which was aborted in 2022 due to juror misconduct. The charge against Lehrmann was later dropped altogether owing to concerns about Higgins' mental health.

His barristers told the Federal Court that Lehrmann respectfully submitted that a conclusion that he had sex with Higgins was "not a finding available to the court".

However, they accepted that if the court did come to such a conclusion, Lehrmann's denial of sex during his interview with the Australian Federal Police "was a lie, and that this is a serious matter which is relevant to assessing [the quantum of] damages".

"It is going too far, however, to characterise it as 'perverting the course of justice', as Ms Wilkinson does in her defence," they said.

'Perverted the course of justice'

In submissions filed on behalf of Wilkinson, barristers Sue Chrysanthou, SC, and Barry Dean said that "if the court concludes that Mr Lehrmann was aware that Ms Higgins was intoxicated and failed to consider whether she was capable of consent, this would amount [to] recklessness".

The court heard that a Parliament House security guard found Higgins naked in Reynolds' office in the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2019, and that Lehrmann had left the office hours earlier. Both had arrived at the office together after a Friday night out drinking with colleagues.

Wilkinson's barristers said that if the court found Lehrmann had sex with Higgins without making a finding of rape, any damages would be reduced in light of a range of factors, including that he "perverted the course of justice in lying to the police" when he said there was no sexual contact at all.

'Utterly wicked' conduct

In written submissions for Network Ten, barristers Matt Collins, KC, and Tim Senior said that if the court concluded sexual intercourse, consensual or not, occurred between Higgins and Lehrmann, "then Mr Lehrmann's conduct would be utterly wicked".

"[T]hat would be wicked conduct of the highest magnitude that would, in Network Ten's submission, rise to the level of a very exceptional case of abuse of process," they said.

"The circumstances would be such that it would bring the administration of justice into disrepute to award Mr Lehrmann any damages."

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/Lehrmann-lawyers-call-for-substantial-damages-even-if-court-finds-he-lied-about-sex-20240105-p5evfh.html

#20147701 at 2023-12-29 14:33:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Lehrmann judge orders YouTuber to face court over alleged contempt

Lachlan Abbott - December 29, 2023

A YouTuber who allegedly uploaded unlawful videos of the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial has been ordered to face court.

Glenn Logan was on Friday ordered to appear before the Federal Court to "show cause ... as to why proceedings for contempt should not be instituted against him".

Logan was ordered to appear on February 13 over videos published on his YouTube channel, allegedly in breach of a Federal Court prohibition on rebroadcasting its YouTube livestream of the Lehrmann case.

Friday's court order cites nine videos allegedly contravening its prohibition on rebroadcasting the trial. All but two have been removed.

The order came after Justice Michael Lee last week ordered tech giant Google to reveal who was behind the YouTube account.

Last week, this masthead tracked down Logan before his identity was revealed to the court.

Logan said he couldn't recall if he'd recently posted videos of the Lehrmann trial.

But when told by a reporter that he would be identified as the YouTuber, Logan said, "the reason I am making the videos" was to highlight what he claimed was the mainstream media's failure to report on female perpetrators of violence.

Logan, through his anonymous YouTube channel, has repeatedly attacked women who have made sexual assault allegations. YouTube has removed some of his videos and stopped him from monetising certain posts, but dozens of his clips remain online, often attacking feminism.

Many of them are dedicated to deriding Grace Tame, who is a sexual assault survivor, victims' advocate and former Australian of the year. Others attack Brittany Higgins, whom he labels a liar, while he has also repeatedly attacked Network 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

Lehrmann is suing Wilkinson for defamation over an interview she conducted with Higgins that aired on The Project. He claims the interview suggested he was guilty of raping Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. Lehrmann has denied there was any sexual activity, and criminal charges against him were dropped last year.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/Lehrmann-judge-orders-youtuber-to-face-court-over-alleged-contempt-20231229-p5eu7f.html

https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/hub/media/tearout-excerpt/24234/P_NSD103_2023_2215489.pdf

#20119265 at 2023-12-23 14:31:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
David Sharaz: the witness who never appeared

Where was Sharaz when Lisa Wilkinson was fighting for her professional life in court? The evidence of the man dubbed 'puppet master' by Bruce Lehrmann would have been relevant.

STEPHEN RICE - December 23, 2023

1/3

As we take stock of the Lehrmann defamation trial, it's worth casting an eye over the performance of the key players whose role will be central to Justice Michael Lee's decision - with sharpest focus on the witness who never appeared.

Where was David Sharaz when Lisa Wilkinson was fighting for her professional life these past few weeks? Not in court, that's for sure. Outside, yes: arriving every morning with his fiancee, Brittany Higgins, when she was giving evidence, deferentially a step behind but always in shot for the waiting photographers.

Then, gone from the building. But not from the narrative that slowly emerged in Lee's courtroom: of a man who wasn't in Higgins's life when she allegedly was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in 2019 but who quickly become a central character in the events that followed.

Perhaps gone for good now, jetted off with Higgins on Monday to start a new life in the house she has bought in the south of France, just a year after her $2.4m payout from the Albanese government.

Lee, now considering his verdict in the defamation case Lehrmann brought against Wilkinson and Network Ten, clearly was irked that Sharaz - whose shadow loomed ever larger over the trial as it progressed - would not be giving evidence.

Ten told Lee it wouldn't be calling Sharaz because he and Higgins met more than a year after the alleged rape. That might have been fair enough if the defamation case had been entirely about the events of that night, and not about Higgins's much later claims to have been mistreated by her Liberal Party bosses. But those allegations - which seemed to coincide with Sharaz's arrival on the scene - are central to the case.

The evidence of the man Lehrmann calls "the puppet master" would have been particularly relevant because he is the nexus between two very different alleged political conspiracies that have swirled in the undercurrent of the trial.

One was the claim aggressively pushed by Sharaz, that Higgins's alleged rape was covered up by Liberal minister Linda Reynolds and her chief of staff Fiona Brown for their own political convenience, in the run-up to a tight federal election.

That was also the clear suggestion made in The Project interview and by Wilkinson and her producer Angus Llewellyn giving evidence in the defamation case - despite furious attempts by both their counsel to backtrack from it late in the proceedings.

The conspiracy theory was completely debunked by the Sofronoff inquiry, queried by Lee himself in a series of acerbic questions to Wilkinson and Llewellyn, and finally withdrawn by Wilkinson's counsel, Sue Chrysanthou SC, from submission in the defamation trial.

The other allegation of political interference that has hovered on the edges of the defamation trial involves evidence that it was Sharaz himself who introduced Higgins to the then Labor opposition in a bid to weaponise her rape allegations against the Morrison government.

There's hard proof of that, some of it revealed by The Australian in leaked text exchanges that show Sharaz's close involvement in negotiating the public airing of Higgins's story on The Project.

Sharaz was there when Higgins decided to tell her story in the media before telling it to the police, offering the scoop to Wilkinson, whom he'd met as the work experience kid at the Today show.

Sharaz was there when Higgins gave her first recorded police interview in March 2021, entering the room during a rest break according to senior Australian Federal Police constable Emma Frizzell in the Sofronoff inquiry. Sharaz then "without concern for Ms Higgins' welfare, commenced showing and discussing media coverage to Ms Higgins".

"I believe the level of media involvement did affect the conduct of the investigation of Ms Higgins' complaint," Frizzell said. "I believe it was a tool driven by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz, which is evident by the first engagement I had with them, whereby Ms Higgins advised she wished to see how the media played out prior to providing a statement."

(continued)

#20114425 at 2023-12-22 13:38:26 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20114421

3/3

Ex-chief of staff's call to ASIO

Documents released by the Federal Court on Thursday reveal that Fiona Brown, the former chief of staff to Reynolds, told the court she contacted the ASIO director-general about Lehrmann after he accessed the parliamentary office after hours.

In an affidavit filed in Lehrmann's defamation case, Brown, who was chief of staff to Reynolds in 2019, said she understood Lehrmann was "keen for a promotion or allocation of ongoing tasks which involved ASIO and security matters".

But Brown said that ASIO matters were "not relevant to the Defence Industry portfolio".

She said that when Lehrmann "learnt that the job offer in the Defence Industry Minister's office was going to be straight Parliamentary and Budget with some policy, he indicated he was not interested in staying on and said he wanted to pursue opportunities in ASIO".

"At some point, Mr Lehrmann told me he'd had a job interview, or was pursuing work, with ASIO," Brown said.

The court has heard Lehrmann had decided to leave Reynolds' staff for a new job when he was instructed on March 26, 2019, to pack up his things after accessing the Parliament House office after hours. His role was formally terminated on April 5 over the security breach.

The court has heard Brown was advised by the Department of Finance on March 26 that Lehrmann and Higgins had entered the office in the early hours of March 23, and Higgins had been found later by a security guard naked and passed out.

Brown said Lehrmann told her she came back to the office to drink whisky.

"I asked 'What else did you do whilst in the office?' He said 'I don't wish to get into that'," Brown said in her affidavit.

She said that she contacted the ASIO director-general on about March 27 and "informed him that the Minister had asked me to contact him about Bruce Lehrmann as it was our understanding that Mr Lehrmann was in the process of getting a job with ASIO".

"Mr [Duncan] Lewis [the then ASIO director-general] told me he did not recall Mr Lehrmann and asked me to spell his name. He advised that he was not aware of him being in the process of getting a job with ASIO.

"I told him that the Minister asked that he consider revocation of his security clearance should Mr Lehrmann ever be looking for a job with ASIO. I subsequently informed the Minister of my conversation with the director-general." Brown said she told Lewis about the unauthorised after-hours office access and an earlier incident in March in which Lehrmann had left a top secret document on his desk.

She said in her affidavit that after the first incident she was "starting to form the opinion that Mr Lehrmann was too immature to hold such highly classified material".

Lee asked Whybrow on Friday what he was to make of "silly lies" it appeared Lehrmann told, including about ASIO, and whether it might indicate he was "indifferent to the truth or falsity" of what he said. Whybrow replied that the same might be said of Higgins.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/reynolds-chief-of-staff-contacted-asio-director-general-about-Lehrmann-court-told-20231222-p5et80.html

#20114415 at 2023-12-22 13:34:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
'Lies, damned lies and CCTV': Lehrmann's barrister delivers blistering closing address

Michaela Whitbourn - December 22, 2023

1/3

The barrister acting for former federal Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann says his client's high-stakes defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson is about "lies, damned lies and CCTV", and the ripple effect of the interview at the centre of the case was profound.

Delivering his closing address to the Federal Court in Sydney on Friday, Lehrmann's barrister, Steven Whybrow, SC, said a "virus of madness" spread after Ten aired the interview in February 2021 with his client's former colleague, Brittany Higgins. That virus "seems to have infected the media and the political class", he said, and led to the rights of his client ceasing to exist.

The interview dropped "like a large stone in a pond", Whybrow added, with ripples spreading across its surface.

'Revision of history'

But Wilkinson's barrister, Sue Chrysanthou, SC, retorted that it was a "revision of history" to lay at the feet of the high-profile journalist and her employer "all of the woes" of Lehrmann, when News Corp had published an interview with Higgins earlier that day.

After a month-long defamation trial, the court heard closing submissions on Friday from Lehrmann's legal team and a reply from the media parties. Justice Michael Lee will deliver his decision at a later date.

Judge reserves decision

Lee formally reserved his decision on Friday afternoon, prompting Chrysanthou to quip, in a reference to his willingness to sit extended hours: "Really? Your honour's still got many hours left of light."

During his closing address, Whybrow re-cast a phrase often attributed to Mark Twain and said the defamation case was about "lies, damned lies, and CCTV". It involved an examination of lies, he said, namely "who's telling them and how serious" they were, and CCTV footage of Lehrmann and Higgins at a Canberra bar on March 22, 2019, in the hours before Higgins alleges Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House.

He said CCTV footage could show "anything you want it to, depending on how you present it", and accused Ten of deploying a "very selective section" of it during the trial.

Asked by Lee about a section of the CCTV footage in which Lehrmann moves three drinks in front of Higgins, Whybrow said it was a "friendly" exchange "rather than some evil against-her-will plying" of her with alcohol.

Ten, who called an expert lip-reader to give evidence in the case, put to Lehrmann that the words he said at this point were "all hers, all hers". Lehrmann denied uttering those words.

Paraphrasing Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Whybrow said his client had been subjected to a form of "sentence first, trial later".

Trip to Parliament House

The barristers for Ten and Wilkinson suggested during closing addresses on Thursday that Lee had sufficient evidence to find, at a minimum, that Higgins and Lehrmann had sex in Parliament House in the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2019.

They argued that in those circumstances Lehrmann should not receive damages because he had persisted in a lie that no sexual activity occurred at all. Higgins has told the court that she woke up while Lehrmann was raping her.

Whybrow said on Friday that neither of the chief protagonists in the case had said in their evidence that they went back to Parliament House for any kind of "amorous activity". He said that even if they went back to the office with that intention it didn't mean that it happened.

He said his submissions examining the evidence "will hopefully cause your honour to be able to confidently exclude that Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins, and that Mr Lehrmann had sex at all with Ms Higgins".

He conceded Ten's barrister, Dr Matt Collins, KC, had "tied [Lehrmann] ... in knots" and "undid him" when he cross-examined him about whether he bought Higgins drinks at Canberra's The Dock hotel in the hours before the alleged rape, but said this did not translate to his client being a "compulsive liar".

Whybrow alleged Higgins was not an accurate or reliable historian and had "invented allegations", while Ten alleged on Thursday that Lehrmann had been "revealed to be a fundamentally dishonest man". Chrysanthou said on Friday that Higgins had continued to see a rape counsellor "on and off" for two years, which was inconsistent with her fabricating the allegation.

(continued)

#20108473 at 2023-12-21 09:57:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
>>20103774
Bienvenue: Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz arrive in France

ELISE KAINE - DECEMBER 21, 2023

Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz have arrived in Paris to start their new life in France.

Dressed in matching black outfits, Ms Higgins and her fiance landed at Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday evening.

The couple are moving to the small town of Lunas which is six-hours by train from Paris.

On her Instagram, Ms Higgins posted a carousel of images taken in Canberra, Sydney and other iconic locations in Australia.

"No matter how far or how wide I roam, I still call Australia home," the caption read.

Ms Higgins has reportedly bought her first home in the small village in the south of France, following her $2.4 million compensation settlement with the Commonwealth.

The couple said goodbye to family and friends at Brisbane International Airport on Monday night, flying to Singapore before boarding a connecting flight to France, where it is reported Ms Higgins plans to study and learn the language.

Ms Higgins, her parents Kelly and Matthew, and Mr Sharaz all wore white outfits at the airport - the women's suffragette colour, which Ms Higgins wore at the Women's March for Justice in March.

Their departure comes as the defamation trial, lodged by Bruce Lehrmann against Channel Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson in which Ms Higgins was called as a witness, comes to an end this week.

Also this week, former Liberal Minister Linda Reynolds indicated she will apply for freezing orders against Ms Higgins in the wake of her relocation.

Senator Reynolds, who is suing both Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz for defamation, will ask the Supreme Court of Western Australia for the orders, which restrain a party to a case from selling or moving assets while a legal action is still in process.

Senator Reynolds has launched defamation actions against Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz over their comments about the senator in social media posts. In Ms Higgins' allegedly defamatory Instagram story, she criticised her former boss for continuing "to harass me through the media and in the parliament".

West Australian Supreme Court judge Marcus Solomon has previously urged the parties to do their best to settle the matter, warning of the immense financial and human cost of a protracted trial.

On Tuesday, lawyers for Senator Reynolds wrote to Ms Higgins' lawyer Leon Zwier, referring to media reports she and Mr Sharaz had left the country. "If such reports are true, we consider that an application for freezing orders is appropriate. Please advise as a matter of urgency your client's intentions in respect of her travel to France and your availability to confer in respect of our client's proposed application."

The deed of settlement ?between Ms Higgins and the ?commonwealth was released last week in the defamation trial brought by Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over Ms Higgins' ?allegation on The Project that she was raped by him in Parliament House in 2019, after her lawyers successfully asked that personal medical information be excluded.

The one-day mediation took place 10 days after ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane ?Drumgold announced he would not be proceeding with a retrial of rape charges due to Ms Higgins' mental health.

The deed shows that the total amount paid to Ms Higgins was $2.445m - $1.48m for loss of earning capacity for 40 years; $400,000 for hurt, distress and humiliation; $220,000 for medical expenses; $100,000 for "past and future domestic assistance"; and $245,000 for legal costs.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-and-david-sharaz-arrive-in-france/news-story/a4a6cd0bb336b0f5f05c68da34668749

#20108466 at 2023-12-21 09:48:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Judge says parts of Higgins, Lehrmann evidence 'simply can't be accepted'

Michaela Whitbourn and Harriet Alexander - December 21, 2023

1/3

The judge presiding over Bruce Lehrmann's high-stakes defamation case has said it appears parts of the evidence of both the former Liberal staffer and his former colleague Brittany Higgins, who has accused him of sexual assault, "simply can't be accepted".

Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over an interview with Higgins, aired on The Project on February 15, 2021, that he says suggests he is guilty of raping Higgins in Parliament House in March 2019. Lehrmann has denied there was any sexual activity.

The case entered its final days on Thursday as the parties delivered their closing addresses in Sydney before Federal Court Justice Michael Lee.

Credit issues

In an insight into his approach to deciding the case, Lee said that "one of the challenges in this case, it seems to me, is that the two principal witnesses [Lehrmann and Higgins] have real credit issues" and "various parts of each witness's evidence simply can't be accepted, it seems to me".

"We agree," Ten's barrister, Dr Matt Collins, KC, said.

"We'll seek to persuade your honour that there is a qualitative difference between the dishonesty of Mr Lehrmann and the successful credit attacks that were levelled at Ms Higgins."

Collins said Higgins had conceded some errors or discrepancies in her accounts but "it did stand to her credit that she was prepared to acknowledge past errors and correct them", while Lehrmann was "revealed to be a fundamentally dishonest man".

There was no suggestion Higgins "has ever wavered in any material respect" in her central allegation, Collins said. He submitted her evidence about the alleged assault was compelling, distressing and believable.

Lee asked: "Your core point ... and I hope this is not a crude reduction of what you are saying, is … the irreducible core about her being a victim of a sexual assault was given with crystal-clear clarity, you would say, and must be accepted whatever other misgivings one has about her evidence?"

"That's so," Collins said.

Collins said Lehrmann had given a "ludicrous" reason for going back to Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019, which included working on question time briefs.

Lehrmann told the court he had lied when he told the chief of staff to Liberal senator and then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds that he went back to the office to have a drink. Higgins and Lehrmann worked for Reynolds as advisers.

Lee said "this is an unusual case" where one might be in a position where "you disbelieve story A [and] you disbelieve story B". He asked rhetorically, "What are the consequences of that?"

"We say this is not that case, because your honour does have direct evidence from the two protagonists about what happened in that room," Collins said.

"To find that sexual intercourse without consent did not happen, your honour, would have actively to reject the evidence given by Ms Higgins. Your honour would have to find it was false or mistaken in some way."

But Lee said "That's not quite true".

"You have to be positively persuaded to reach an actual sense of persuasion that it is true."

(continued)

#20103774 at 2023-12-20 10:55:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Linda Reynolds to seek freeze on Brittany Higgins' assets as her former staffer leaves for new life in France

GRACE MACPHERSON - DECEMBER 20, 2023

Former Liberal Minister Linda Reynolds will apply for freezing orders against Brittany Higgins after her former staffer flew out of the country this week to start a new life in France with her fiance, David Sharaz.

Senator Reynolds, who is suing both Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz for defamation, will ask the Supreme Court of Western Australia for the orders, which restrain a party to a case from selling or moving assets while a legal action is still in process.

Ms Higgins has reportedly bought her first home in a small village in the south of France, following her $2.4 million compensation settlement with the Commonwealth.

The couple said goodbye to family and friends at Brisbane International Airport on Monday night, flying to Singapore before boarding a connecting flight to France, where it is reported Ms Higgins plans to study and learn the language.

The property is reportedly located in the village of Lunas, in France and is a six-hour train ride from Paris and four hours from Barcelona in Spain.

Ms Higgins, her parents Kelly and Matthew, and Mr Sharaz all wore white outfits at the airport - the women's suffragette colour, which Ms Higgins wore at the Women's March for Justice in March.

Senator Reynolds has launched defamation actions against Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz over their comments about the senator in social media posts. In Ms Higgins' allegedly defamatory Instagram story, she criticised her former boss for continuing "to harass me through the media and in the parliament".

West Australian Supreme Court judge Marcus Solomon has previously urged the parties to do their best to settle the matter, warning of the immense financial and human cost of a protracted trial.

On Tuesday, lawyers for Senator Reynolds wrote to Ms Higgins' lawyer Leon Zwier, referring to media reports she and Mr Sharaz had left the country. "If such reports are true, we consider that an application for freezing orders is appropriate. Please advise as a matter of urgency your client's intentions in respect of her travel to France and your availability to confer in respect of our client's proposed application."

Lawyers described the amount and speed of the settlement - finalised just days after Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial was abandoned in the ACT ?Supreme Court - as "extraordinary" and "unprecedented".

The deed of settlement ?between Ms Higgins and the ?commonwealth was released last week in the defamation trial brought by Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over Ms Higgins' ?allegation on The Project that she was raped by him in Parliament House in 2019, after her lawyers successfully asked that personal medical information be excluded.

The one-day mediation took place 10 days after ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane ?Drumgold announced he would not be proceeding with a retrial of rape charges due to Ms Higgins' mental health.

The deed shows that the total amount paid to Ms Higgins was $2.445m - $1.48m for loss of earning capacity for 40 years; $400,000 for hurt, distress and humiliation; $220,000 for medical expenses; $100,000 for "past and future domestic assistance"; and $245,000 for legal costs.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-david-sharaz-leave-australia-to-start-new-life-in-france/news-story/2252cf1bb78bce331c6c7e140a7e51d4

#20103761 at 2023-12-20 10:48:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Witness Fiona Brown says Brittany Higgins 'didn't tell me she had been raped'

JOANNA PANAGOPOULOS - DECEMBER 19, 2023

1/2

Former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown has repeatedly denied Brittany Higgins told her she had been raped by Bruce Lehrmann in their first meeting following the alleged assault in Parliament House.

The former chief of staff to Linda Reynolds told the Federal Court on Monday that she first became concerned about the "possibility" of a rape in the ministerial ?office after a Parliamentary Services official told her Ms Higgins had been found naked on the Liberal senator's couch.

Ms Brown also said "her ?antenna was up" after Mr Lehrmann had told her that he had gone back to Parliament House to drink whisky in the early hours of Saturday, March 23, 2019.

In a late-night hearing on Monday to ensure Ms Brown would not be traumatised by multiple days at court due to concerns about her mental state, the ex-Liberal staffer repeatedly said she "couldn't rule it in, couldn't rule it out" that Ms Higgins had been sexually assaulted.

Ms Brown categorically denied that Ms Higgins told her in their first meeting on March 26 after the alleged incident that "he (Mr Lehrmann) was on top of me" or that she had been raped.

Ms Brown told the court that Ms Higgins' demeanour had changed during the first meeting when she saw a code of conduct and an employee assistance handbook on Ms Brown's desk.

"She saw the papers on my desk and I could see her eyes shifting," Ms Brown said. "She was thinking quickly on her feet."

In a later meeting on March 28, 2019, Ms Brown said Ms Higgins then told her that Mr Lehrmann had been "on top" of her. Ms Brown told the court she was shocked and when she asked Ms Higgins what she meant by that statement, her junior staffer replied: "I am responsible for what I drink and my actions."

Television presenter Lisa Wilkinson's lawyer Sue Chrysanthou cross-examined Ms Brown in the Federal Court on Monday, with a YouTube live?stream that has played throughout the trial turned off due to the witness's fragile health.

Mr Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and presenter Lisa Wilkinson over her interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021, detailing accu?sations that Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins on March 23, 2019, but not naming him as the ?alleged attacker. Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied raping Ms Higgins.

Earlier in court, veteran Ten Network news boss Peter Meakin conceded The Project should have gone back to Ms Higgins after it received a contemporaneous email the night before the broadcast that showed Ms Brown had "supported" Ms Higgins in going to police.

Mr Meakin said an email of contemporaneous notes between a Parliamentary Services official and Ms Brown "certainly tells a different narrative" than the one presented by Wilkinson's interview with Ms Higgins, and agreed that if he had read the email, it would have been "obviously important to go and check this account with Ms Higgins".

Ms Brown told the court on Monday that when she heard Ms Higgins was found naked in the then defence industry minister's office, it "crossed her mind" that Ms Higgins might have been assaulted. "I couldn't rule it out, and I couldn't rule it in," she added.

In her first meeting with Ms Higgins, Ms Brown said she gave Ms Higgins a brochure for an Employee Assistance Program but denied the reason was because Ms Higgins told her she had been assaulted. "Nope," she responded, when asked.

When pressed about whether she suspected from what she was told in that meeting that Ms Higgins had been assaulted, Ms Brown said: "It was a possibility."

(continued)

#20098441 at 2023-12-19 09:51:20 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Who said conspiracy? Lisa Wilkinson's lawyer abandons cover-up claim

STEPHEN RICE - DECEMBER 19, 2023

1/2

Lisa Wilkinson's barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC, had just finished her cross-examination of Fiona Brown when Justice Michael Lee moved in with a trademark killer question.

"Can I proceed on the basis that no submission will be made Ms Brown was a knowing participant in a systemic cover-up of a rape?" he asked.

There was a pause as Ms Chrysanthou took stock of this question.

It was only last week that her client had sat in the same witness box and told the Federal Court she believed Brown, former chief of staff to then-Minister Linda Reynolds was "getting instructions from the prime minister's office" and it followed she and Reynolds were "knowing participants in a systemic cover-up".

"You'd agree that it would be wicked conduct ... being involved in the systemic cover up of a rape allegation?" Lee had asked.

"Yeah, it was about keeping the details away from the media," Wilkinson replied.

Those words may have flashed through Chrysanthou's mind as she considered her response.

Yes, she agreed after a long moment, there would be no submission that Brown was engaged in a systematic cover up the rape.

That stunning concession may not win Bruce Lehrmann his defamation case against Wilkinson and the Ten Network, but it puts a torpedo through the bows of a central claim in their case: that Brittany Higgins was a victim of powerful forces inside the Morrison government who pressured her to stay silent or risk her career.

If Brown wasn't part of the giant conspiracy, who was?

On the evidence Chrysanthou extracted from Brown on Tuesday, Reynolds had been determined to get the police involved even before Higgins had verbalised her rape claim, let alone decided to make a complaint.

Brown told the court she feared losing her job after defying orders from both Reynolds and another minister, Alex Hawke - a close confidant of Scott Morrison - to make a police report without Higgins' consent, before the young staffer had said she was raped.

Higgins had said she did not want to make a police report, and wanted to speak to her father before making a decision, Brown said.

Brown said she was doing what she'd been told to do by Department of Finance executive Lauren Barons: "Ms Higgins needed to have her agency and it was her right to make a police report."

(continued)

#20098432 at 2023-12-19 09:42:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

>>20092945
Lip-reader spent three days analysing CCTV footage of Lehrmann and Higgins, court told

Michaela Whitbourn, Perry Duffin and Clare Sibthorpe - December 19, 2023

1/2

A UK-based lip-reader flown to Sydney by Network Ten to give evidence as part of its defence to Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case says he spent three days analysing CCTV footage of the former Liberal staffer and Brittany Higgins in a Canberra bar in the hours before she alleges she was raped.

Tim Reedy, who became profoundly deaf at the age of four, told the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday that the CCTV footage of the pair drinking with colleagues at The Dock hotel in Canberra on March 22, 2019, was "one of the better CCTV cameras" he had seen.

He told the court he was able to use Apple technology to "fine-tune the pixelation until the image was very sharp" and place a magnifier "over the person who is speaking in the bar".

Reedy said he had "spent a good three days" looking at the footage and had the luxury of playing it repeatedly.

He told the court he had been engaged as a lip-reader for a range of media outlets and had analysed the coronation of King Charles for The Sunday Times, as well as assisting police investigations.

Justice Michael Lee asked if lip-reading the coronation involved trying to discern "what one minor royal said to another ... or something like that", and Reedy agreed, saying the newspaper liked "a bit of gossip".

Australian accents

At one stage on Tuesday, Lee and three senior barristers gathered around Reedy to observe excerpts of the CCTV footage on a laptop.

Under cross-examination by Lehrmann's barrister, Steven Whybrow, SC, Reedy said there was a "big difference" between analysing CCTV and lip-reading in daily life. He was able to watch a video at different speeds and play it repeatedly, he said.

Whybrow asked Reedy whether a note he wrote saying "man is lining up drinks; plying the woman with alcohol" was something he had been instructed had happened or had assessed himself.

Reedy told the court he observed drinks being "pushed" in Higgins' direction, which suggested she was being plied with alcohol.

Whybrow asked Reedy if Higgins' evidence during the trial that if someone had given her a drink "there was never a way I wasn't going to finish it" would affect his opinion that Higgins had said at one point "I don't want to" in response to Lehrmann allegedly encouraging her to skol a drink.

Reedy said: "That's what I believe she said."

"You have not had any experience with Australian accents?" Whybrow asked.

"Yes I have. I've met Australian people throughout my life," he said.

"Would you accept that in the circumstances where you have never been assessed as to the accuracy of your lip-reading some of your opinions might not be correct?" Whybrow said.

"I would say they're more correct than not," Reedy said.

Lehrmann disagreed during his evidence that he gestured towards a drink at The Dock at about 11.50pm and told Higgins: "Drink that all now."

The court has previously been shown CCTV footage in which Lehrmann placed three drinks in front of Higgins at The Dock and gestured towards them. Lehrmann denied during his evidence that he had said the words "all hers, all hers", and denied he encouraged Higgins to get drunk.

The expert report

Lee ruled this month that Ten could tender a report in which Reedy expresses an opinion on words spoken by Lehrmann and Higgins at The Dock, based on an analysis of the CCTV footage, and confirmed that ruling on Tuesday.

The judge made clear that his ruling allowing the report to be admitted in evidence was not an indication of the weight he would ultimately place on the opinions expressed in it.

The lawsuit

Lehrmann is suing Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins, broadcast on The Project on February 15, 2021, that he alleges defames him by suggesting he is guilty of raping Higgins in then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds' Parliament House office in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

Both Higgins and Lehrmann worked as advisers to Reynolds. Lehrmann has denied raping Higgins and has told the Federal Court there was no sexual contact between the pair at all.

The court will not sit on Wednesday, but the trial will resume on Thursday and Friday for closing submissions. Lee said he was prepared to sit extended hours on those days.

(continued)

#20092945 at 2023-12-18 10:30:53 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

Brittany Higgins's former chief of staff Fiona Brown allowed to give evidence in closed court session

Patrick Bell - 18 December 2023

1/2

The former political staffer to whom Brittany Higgins says she first disclosed her rape allegation has been allowed to give evidence in a closed session this afternoon, as part of Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.

The court heard Ms Brown was the first person to whom Ms Higgins disclosed her alleged rape as she was the senior political staffer in the office of Senator Linda Reynolds - for whom both Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann worked - at the time of the alleged rape at Parliament House in March 2019.

Mr Lehrmann is suing over an interview Ms Wilkinson did with Ms Higgins on The Project, in which he was not named as the alleged rapist, but claims he was identifiable.

He launched the action after the collapse of his criminal trial due to juror misconduct, with no findings against him.

The court was today presented with two medical reports which outlined the potential adverse effects on Ms Brown's mental health, if she were to give evidence in open court, and while the live stream on the Federal Court's YouTube channel was active.

At points in the case, the live stream has had more than 20,000 viewers.

Justice Michael Lee ruled that the live stream could be deferred during Ms Brown's testimony.

He ruled that members of the media would be allowed to observe her evidence, but otherwise the court would be closed to the public.

Doctor challenged over Brittany Higgins's level of intoxication

Earlier today, a forensic toxicologist was challenged on his estimate of how intoxicated Ms Higgins was on the night in question.

Dr Michael Robertson prepared a report which estimated her blood alcohol content (BAC) to be about 0.23 at 1:50am when she entered Parliament House, based on the number of drinks she is believed to have consumed, how much she had eaten, and factors such as her height and weight.

The court was shown CCTV footage from The Dock - the Canberra pub Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann attended on the night - in which she is seen swaying and stumbling at 10:08pm.

At this time, Dr Robertson estimated her BAC to be 0.11.

The court was later shown CCTV of the pair entering Parliament House, in which Mr Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow suggested she showed similar signs of intoxication to the clip from four hours earlier.

When Ms Higgins can be seen standing on one foot as she removed her shoes for the metal detector, Mr Whybrow suggested "for somebody who had drunk a lot of alcohol, [that] would be a fairly complex exercise".

Dr Robertson agreed with Mr Whybrow that the vision showed "no overt signs of gross intoxication".

But he told the court Ms Higgins's "drinking history" that he was asked to assume in his report suggested a much higher level of intoxication than earlier in the night.

(continued)

#20092845 at 2023-12-18 09:59:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#33 - Part 21
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 2
>>20027621 Higgins, Cash and the secret tape - Brittany Higgins is set to face a gruelling interrogation as Bruce Lehrmann's lawyer pushes to play a covert recording she made of former government minister Michaelia Cash
>>20027636 Video: Brittany Higgins denies trying to 'blow-up' Bruce Lehrmann's re-trial over alleged rape as her evidence concludes in Federal Court
>>20027640 $2.3 million payout goes to the heart of Labor's role in Brittany Higgins case - It's taken a defamation trial to discover the truth, but finally we know how much the Albanese government paid to settle Brittany Higgins' untested claim that she would not be able to work for at least 40 years after allegedly being raped by Bruce Lehrmann
>>20033285 Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins getting 'quite touchy' in club on night of alleged rape, witness tells Federal Court
>>20033308 The ABC paid $150,000 to settle Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case over a National Press Club broadcast, documents tendered in his Federal Court defamation case against Network Ten reveal.
>>20038514 Brittany Higgins bombshell: $2.4m payout based entirely on her own evidence - The Albanese government paid Brittany Higgins more than $2.4 million compensation in a settlement that relied entirely upon Ms Higgins' version of events, despite contrary versions from key witnesses who were excluded from a single-day mediation of her claim
>>20038528 Higgins didn't want to be known as 'the girl raped in Parliament', ex-boyfriend Ben Dillaway tells court

>>20038554 Corruption watchdog examines Brittany Higgins compo payout - The national anti-corruption watchdog is now examining a complaint by former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds against Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over his handling of the $2.3 million compensation payment made to Brittany Higgins, to determine if an investigation should be launched
>>20043828 Ten has win on lip-reader's report in Lehrmann defamation case - Network Ten has had a tactical win in its defamation fight with former federal Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann after a Federal Court judge allowed it to tender a lip-reader's report analysing CCTV footage of Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins in the hours before she alleges he raped her in Parliament House
>>20043857 Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds sues the ACT government and its former top prosecutor Shane Drumgold for defamation
>>20057023 Brittany Higgins a 'broken soul', mother tells Lehrmann defamation case - Brittany Higgins' mother has said her daughter's alleged sexual assault was "a mother's worst nightmare" as she gave emotional evidence in court about the changes she perceived in her personality in the months after the alleged rape
>>20062141 'Oh Britt, we didn't know': Michaelia Cash secretly recorded in call with Higgins - A telephone call Brittany Higgins secretly recorded with her then-boss, Liberal senator Michaelia Cash, has emerged as a flashpoint in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case after it was played for the first time in the Federal Court
>>20062186 Video: Exclusive tapes revealed: Secret audio captures Higgins' lawyer giving advice to her fianc? in middle of crucial cross-examination - Brittany Higgins' high-profile lawyer gave suggestions on how she respond to a grilling on her $2.4m commonwealth payout and inconsistencies in her story under tough cross-examination during the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial
>>20066846 Ten producer defends Higgins interview as Lisa Wilkinson's texts revealed - Angus Llewellyn, producer of Ten's The Project program has told the Federal Court that Brittany Higgins was terrified her interview with Lisa Wilkinson could be "stopped by the government" before it aired, as he defended his steps to contact Bruce Lehrmann before the broadcast
>>20072114 Wilkinson rankled by 'tabloid' suggestion during tense day in Lehrmann case - Prominent journalist Lisa Wilkinson has clashed with Bruce Lehrmann's barrister during Lehrmann's high-stakes defamation case as she defended her reporting of Brittany Higgins' rape claim and was rankled by a question that she alleged portrayed her as a "cheap tabloid journalist"

#20092842 at 2023-12-18 09:58:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #34: UNITED AGAINST THE INVISIBLE ENEMY OF ALL HUMANITY Edition

#33 - Part 20
Brittany Higgins Rape Allegations and Bruce Lehrmann Defamation Trial - Part 1
>>19886008 Senator Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz ordered into last-ditch mediation to avoid costly defamation trial - Senator Linda Reynolds, her former staffer Brittany Higgins and Ms Higgins' fiance David Sharaz will sit face-to-face in a last-ditch mediation ahead of a potentially costly defamation trial. And a host of prominent media figures, as well as federal Labor senator Katy Gallagher, have now been subpoenaed to ?appear as witnesses in the event the matter goes to trial. Senator Reynolds has launched separate defamation actions against Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz over their comments about the senator in the wake of Ms Higgins' allegations that she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the senator's Parliament House office. Charges against Mr Lehrmann were dropped last year after a mistrial. Justice Solomon has previously urged the parties to do their best to settle the matter, warning of the financial and human cost of a protracted trial.
>>19841269 Bruce Lehrmann fires back at Brittany Higgins after being named as Toowoomba rape accused
>>19957963 Bruce Lehrmann's defamation action against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson begins after ABC agree to settle defamation action over a 2022 National Press Club speech by Brittany Higgins
>>19958048 Bruce Lehrmann 'severely isolated' after Higgins interview, court told
>>19964194 Bruce Lehrmann case: Curtain up as live-stream followers face judicial warning
>>19964252 Bruce Lehrmann denies raping Brittany Higgins on day two of his defamation action against Network Ten, Lisa Wilkinson
>>19964290 Bruce Lehrmann explains the missing 45 minutes in rape claims
>>19970194 Bruce Lehrmann concedes he bought drinks for Brittany Higgins despite earlier telling Federal Court he could not recall

>>19984217 Bruce Lehrmann denies evading questions from chief of staff about Parliament House entry on night of alleged rape
>>19989527 Bruce Lehrmann tells court he believes Brittany Higgins's fiance sent him threatening email titled 'Coming for you'
>>19995409 Brittany Higgins' emotional evidence at odds with previous statements
>>20001984 Brittany Higgins changes her story on leg bruise photo: 'Maybe I tripped'
>>20001998 Brittany Higgins breaks down in Federal Court as Bruce Lehrmann's lawyers suggest she made up rape allegation
>>20002007 The moment Brittany Higgins began to break - 'The sobs, once they began, could not be held back'
>>20008196 Brittany Higgins re-wore dress she was allegedly raped in to 'reclaim' it, Federal Court hears
>>20013190 Lehrmann sues Ten: Brittany Higgins admits to circulating 'incorrect' media dossier

#19822044 at 2023-10-29 04:48:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#32 - Part 26
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 2
>>19805258 Bruce Lehrmann in dock on new rape charges - Bruce Lehrmann has been charged with rape after a young woman he met in a Toowoomba strip club Googled the Brittany Higgins rape case and then alleged she recognised him as the man who had unprotected sex with her without consent. The alleged victim told police she realised it was the same man who introduced himself as "Bryce" when they met at the club in October 2021, only a few weeks after he first appeared in court over allegations he raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House. Mr Lehrmann allegedly had consensual sex with the woman that night but failed to wear a condom when they had sex twice the next morning. Failing to wear a condom without a partner's permission is considered sexual ?assault under Queensland law. The 28-year-old was named on Thursday as the well-known Australian facing rape charges in ?Toowoomba after the Supreme Court of Queensland lifted a suppression order that had protected his identity. The prosecution and media outlets, including The Australian, had fought in court to remove the non-publication order, arguing that it went against the principles of open justice and that Mr Lehrmann had no automatic protection under the new laws. The former Liberal staffer was not present in court for the hearing, and remains on bail. He is expected to plead not guilty to the charges.
>>19805276 Why we couldn't tell you Bruce Lehrmann was charged with rape until now - The media have not been legally able to report on the identity of Bruce Lehrmann until now under Queensland laws that suppressed the identity of the accused in sexual assault cases until or unless they are committed to stand trial. Those laws were changed in September, bringing Queensland into line with most other states and territories to allow the naming of accused sex offenders after they are charged. Despite the change in the law, the legal fight to name him has continued to play out in the Queensland Supreme Court and the Toowoomba Magistrates Court after his legal team sought a suppression order. The media has instead reported on multiple court hearings in relation to the matter for the past year by simply referring to a "high-profile man" accused of rape in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. That was until today. The two charges pertain to an alleged incident with a woman Mr Lehrmann met in a Toowoomba nightclub weeks after he appeared in an ACT court over unrelated allegations he raped Brittany Higgins. That trial collapsed following an allegation of juror misconduct. Mr Lehrmann was never convicted and strongly denied all allegations. Queensland Supreme Court judge Peter Applegarth rejected an application by Mr Lehrmann to continue an ongoing suppression order on his name at 5pm on Thursday, October 26.

#19822043 at 2023-10-29 04:48:24 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#32 - Part 25
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 1
>>19587792 Shane Drumgold's case against Sofronoff inquiry to be heard by Victorian judge - Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold's case against the inquiry that ended his career will be heard by a Victorian Supreme Court judge, due to a potential conflict of interest preventing it from being heard by a judge in his own jurisdiction. Mr Drumgold last month launched extraordinary legal action challenging both his "termination" by the ACT government and the findings of the inquiry that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly ?unethical conduct in Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial. The ACT Supreme Court on Thursday heard Chief Justice Lucy McCallum had decided it "would not be appropriate for any resident judge of this court to hear these proceedings." ACT Registrar Jayne Reece wrote to parties last week saying there was a potential "conflict of interest" due to Mr Drumgold's standing in the ACT Supreme Court, which was further "complicated" by the fact Chief Justice McCallum presided over Mr Lehrmann's trial. As such, the court heard Chief Justice McCallum had written to Victorian Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Ferguson requesting she allow one of her justices to become an acting member of the ACT Supreme Court. Chief Justice Ferguson obliged, and Justice Stephen Kaye is in the process of becoming appointed to oversee proceedings.
>>19805233 Bruce Lehrmann charged with two counts of rape in Toowoomba - Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been charged with two counts of rape in relation to an incident alleged to have occurred after a night out in Queensland in October, 2021. For the first time, it can be revealed that Mr Lehrmann is the "high-profile man" accused of rape in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. The matter was first listed in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court in January, 2023 but Mr Lehrmann has never been named until now. The two charges pertain to an alleged incident with a woman Mr Lehrmann met in a Toowoomba nightclub weeks after he appeared in an ACT court over unrelated allegations he raped Brittany Higgins. That trial collapsed following an allegation of juror misconduct. Mr Lehrmann was never convicted and strongly denied all allegations. Queensland Supreme Court judge Peter Applegarth rejected an application by Mr Lehrmann to continue an ongoing suppression order on his name at 5pm on Thursday, October 26.

#19805276 at 2023-10-26 11:02:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19805233
Why we couldn't tell you Bruce Lehrmann was charged with rape until now

The reason no one could report Bruce Lehrmann as the high-profile man accused of rape in Toowoomba can now be revealed.

Samantha Maiden - October 26, 2023

1/3

The media have not been legally able to report on the identity of Bruce Lehrmann until now under Queensland laws that suppressed the identity of the accused in sexual assault cases until or unless they are committed to stand trial.

Those laws were changed in September, bringing Queensland into line with most other states and territories to allow the naming of accused sex offenders after they are charged.

Despite the change in the law, the legal fight to name him has continued to play out in the Queensland Supreme Court and the Toowoomba Magistrates Court after his legal team sought a suppression order.

The media has instead reported on multiple court hearings in relation to the matter for the past year by simply referring to a "high-profile man" accused of rape in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane. That was until today.

The two charges pertain to an alleged incident with a woman Mr Lehrmann met in a Toowoomba nightclub weeks after he appeared in an ACT court over unrelated allegations he raped Brittany Higgins. That trial collapsed following an allegation of juror misconduct. Mr Lehrmann was never convicted and strongly denied all allegations.

Queensland Supreme Court judge Peter Applegarth rejected an application by Mr Lehrmann to continue an ongoing suppression order on his name at 5pm on Thursday, October 26.

Earlier, Mr Lehrmann's legal team had challenged a ruling in the Toowoomba magistrates court that Mr Lehrmann could be named.

Mr Lehrmann's legal team argued that the original decision should be overturned for reasons that included their client's mental health, a risk the original magistrate acknowledged but did not find was strong enough for an ongoing suppression order.

"There's no proper basis to draw the conclusion that a person's risk is static,'' Mr Lehrmann's barrister Andrew Hoare told the Supreme Court.

"It must be the risk is something which is fluid."

However, after hearing the matter Justice Applegarth rejected the application and lifted the non-publication order.

"The applicant is the defendant in criminal proceedings before the magistrate's court at Toowoomba, he applied to that court for a non publication order,'' he said.

"Counsel for the applicant submitted on the material before it there was an existing risk of harm, which would be amplified by the publication of the applicants "identifying particulars."

"In response, counsel for the prosecution and for certain media entities noted the unsatisfactory nature of the applicant's evidence in support of the submission.

"The applicant gave no evidence but relied on an affidavit from his solicitor and psychologist's report.

"I've concluded that, given the state of the evidence, it was open to a reasonable decision maker to not be satisfied that the non-publication was necessary to protect the safety of the applicant.

"The respondents relied upon what was submitted to the magistrate to be a contrast between the applicant's public position as he presented in three television interviews between June and August 2023 and Dr. Brown's description of him after June 2023."

Mr Lehrmann has not yet been committed for trial or been required to enter a plea. He has not appeared in court for medical reasons.

(continued)

#19805258 at 2023-10-26 10:54:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19805233
Bruce Lehrmann in dock on new rape charges

SARAH ELKS and STEPHEN RICE - OCTOBER 26, 2023

1/3

Bruce Lehrmann has been charged with rape after a young woman he met in a Toowoomba strip club Googled the Brittany Higgins rape case and then alleged she recognised him as the man who had unprotected sex with her without consent.

The alleged victim told police she realised it was the same man who introduced himself as "Bryce" when they met at the club in October 2021, only a few weeks after he first appeared in court over allegations he raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House.

Mr Lehrmann allegedly had consensual sex with the woman that night but failed to wear a condom when they had sex twice the next morning. Failing to wear a condom without a partner's permission is considered sexual ?assault under Queensland law.

The 28-year-old was named on Thursday as the well-known Australian facing rape charges in ?Toowoomba after the Supreme Court of Queensland lifted a suppression order that had protected his identity.

The prosecution and media outlets, including The Australian, had fought in court to remove the non-publication order, arguing that it went against the principles of open justice and that Mr Lehrmann had no automatic protection under the new laws.

The former Liberal staffer was not present in court for the hearing, and remains on bail.

He is expected to plead not guilty to the charges.

Prosecutors in the ACT last year dropped charges against Mr Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Ms Higgins, saying a retrial of the case would pose an unacceptable risk to her health. The trial had earlier been aborted after a juror was found to have brought outside material into the jury room.

Mr Lehrmann was charged in January with two counts of rape by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Branch over the ?alleged offence in Toowoomba but has not yet been committed for trial.

The alleged victim said she met up with friends at the Powerhouse nightclub in Toowoomba's CBD in October 2021, where she consumed alcohol before moving on to adult entertainment venue The Vault with two friends.

There, according to a police court brief, she "recalls socialising with friends, consuming more alcohol and a quantity of cocaine".

At some point in the evening, she met Mr Lehrmann in the smokers' area and talked to him before they left in a taxi to the house where he was staying with a friend.

The pair got into bed clothed. After a brief conversation, she said, she recalled that they kissed and she told him to put a condom on. She then claimed that she woke to find her legs open and Mr Lehrmann's penis inside her.

The police brief states that she didn't recall taking off her clothes or underwear.

Mr Lehrmann was holding up a bag of cocaine which he claimed to have found on her breast, she said.

"He emptied the cocaine on to the bedside table and cut it up into two lines with a card."

She says she had one line and he had the other, according to the police brief.

She said the next thing she remembered was waking up the next morning with Mr Lehrmann having sex with her. She said she told him to stop. The woman claimed she felt groggy when he had sex with her a third time.

After establishing that he had ejaculated inside her, the woman said she told Mr Lehrmann she needed to get the morning-after pill. The pair then drove to a nearby pharmacy to get the morning-after pill, and she asked him to drive her home.

On the way, they stopped to pick up coffee from a McDonald's drive-thru before Mr Lehrmann dropped her at her own home.

Over the following week, the pair engaged in conversation over social media plat?form SnapChat but soon lost contact.

(continued)

#19805233 at 2023-10-26 10:43:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

Bruce Lehrmann charged with two counts of rape in Toowoomba

For the first time, it can be revealed that Bruce Lehrmann is the "high-profile man" accused of rape after a night out in Queensland.

Samantha Maiden - October 26, 2023

1/2

Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been charged with two counts of rape in relation to an incident alleged to have occurred after a night out in Queensland in October, 2021.

For the first time, it can be revealed that Mr Lehrmann is the "high-profile man" accused of rape in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.

The matter was first listed in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court in January, 2023 but Mr Lehrmann has never been named until now.

The two charges pertain to an alleged incident with a woman Mr Lehrmann met in a Toowoomba nightclub weeks after he appeared in an ACT court over unrelated allegations he raped Brittany Higgins. That trial collapsed following an allegation of juror misconduct. Mr Lehrmann was never convicted and strongly denied all allegations.

Queensland Supreme Court judge Peter Applegarth rejected an application by Mr Lehrmann to continue an ongoing suppression order on his name at 5pm on Thursday, October 26.

Earlier, Mr Lehrmann's legal team had challenged a ruling in the Toowoomba magistrates court that Mr Lehrmann could be named.

Mr Lehrmann's legal team argued that the original decision should be overturned for reasons that included their client's mental health, a risk the original magistrate acknowledged but did not find was strong enough for an ongoing suppression order.

"There's no proper basis to draw the conclusion that a person's risk is static,'' Mr Lehrmann's barrister Andrew Hoare told the Supreme Court. "It must be the risk is something which is fluid."

However, after hearing the matter Justice Applegarth rejected the application and lifted the non-publication order.

"The applicant is the defendant in criminal proceedings before the magistrate's court at Toowoomba, he applied to that court for a non publication order,'' he said.

"Counsel for the applicant submitted on the material before it there was an existing risk of harm, which would be amplified by the publication of the applicants "identifying particulars."

"In response, counsel for the prosecution and for certain media entities noted the unsatisfactory nature of the applicant's evidence in support of the submission.

"The applicant gave no evidence but relied on an affidavit from his solicitor and psychologist's report.

"I've concluded that, given the state of the evidence, it was open to a reasonable decision maker to not be satisfied that the non-publication was necessary to protect the safety of the applicant.

"The respondents relied upon what was submitted to the magistrate to be a contrast between the applicant's public position as he presented in three television interviews between June and August 2023 and Dr. Brown's description of him after June 2023."

Mr Lehrmann has not yet been required to enter a plea. He has not yet been committed for trial, a process that will now play out in the magistrates court.

It was the appearance of Mr Lehrmann's name in a Toowoomba Magistrates Court list in January that first prompted media outlets to report that a high-profile man had been charged with two counts of rape.

At the time, a Queensland Police Service spokesman confirmed a man had been charged and said he was scheduled to appear in court.

"Toowoomba Criminal Investigation Branch detectives have charged a man with the alleged rape of a young woman in October 2021," police said.

"The man is scheduled to appear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on January 11, 2023, charged with two counts of rape."

But when Mr Lehrmann did not front court on that day, the Magistrate questioned his lawyers on why he was not present.

"He has a notice to appear today, why is he not here?" Magistrate Kay Ryan asked.

The accused's lawyer, Rowan King, explained his client was in Tasmania and could not be present for medical reasons.

Mr Lehrmann has remained on bail since January 11, 2023, with conditions including that he surrender his passport.

(continued)

#19587792 at 2023-09-21 10:41:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

>>19289705 (pb)
>>19452895 (pb)
Shane Drumgold's case against Sofronoff inquiry to be heard by Victorian judge

ELLIE DUDLEY - SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold's case against the inquiry that ended his career will be heard by a Victorian Supreme Court judge, due to a potential conflict of interest preventing it from being heard by a judge in his own jurisdiction.

Mr Drumgold last month launched extraordinary legal action challenging both his "termination" by the ACT government and the findings of the inquiry that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly ?unethical conduct in Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial.

The ACT Supreme Court on Thursday heard Chief Justice Lucy McCallum had decided it "would not be appropriate for any resident judge of this court to hear these proceedings."

ACT Registrar Jayne Reece wrote to parties last week saying there was a potential "conflict of interest" due to Mr Drumgold's standing in the ACT Supreme Court, which was further "complicated" by the fact Chief Justice McCallum presided over Mr Lehrmann's trial.

As such, the court heard Chief Justice McCallum had written to Victorian Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Ferguson requesting she allow one of her justices to become an acting member of the ACT Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Ferguson obliged, and Justice Stephen Kaye is in the process of becoming appointed to oversee proceedings.

"That is the mechanism around in which we will avoid any conflict of interest of our resident judges," Ms Reece said.

Mr Drumgold is suing the inquiry - chaired by Walter Sofronoff - and the ACT government, after Mr Sofronoff ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless and the chief prosecutor "did not act with fairness and detachment as was ?required by his role".

Mr Drumgold conceded he made mistakes in the case but ?rejected the key findings of the inquiry that he had lied to the ?Supreme Court and engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct.

After the report was leaked to the media, including to The Australian, Mr Drumgold said he had been denied procedural fairness.

"It has deprived the ACT government of the opportunity of considering my conduct ?objectively," he said.

Mr Drumgold is now seeking a declaration that the report and decisions are invalid.

Mr Drumgold says Mr ?Sofronoff failed to comply with s.17 of the ACT Inquiries Act, which provides that board members must not provide inquiry documents to others or communicate inquiry information ?except under provisions provided by the act.

Mr Drumgold challenges a number of Mr Sofronoff's findings on the grounds of "legal ?unreasonableness".

These include the findings that he had breached his duty by reading Brittany Higgins' counselling notes; that he had been wrong not to disclose police ?documents; that he had betrayed the trust of junior staff members; and that he falsely claimed legal professional privilege over documents.

Mr Drumgold also disputes Mr Sofronoff's finding that he had knowingly lied to Chief Justice Lucy McCallum over a note of a meeting he had with Lisa Wilkinson prior to her Logies speech and that he failed in his duty to warn the TV presenter of the dangers of making the speech.

He further objects to the findings that his treatment of senator Linda Reynolds in the witness box was grossly unethical and that his comments lauding Ms Higgins after the discontinuance of the Lehrmann case were ?improper.

The court on Thursday heard Mr Drumgold had dropped his claim against ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury.

The parties on Thursday debated the timetabling of the matter, with Mr Sofronoff's solicitor Glen Cranney arguing he did not have appropriate time to comply with Mr Drumgold's proposed schedule, which would require him to file particulars "within days".

"It is unfair on Mr Sofronoff, to force him into that position (when) he doesn't yet have counsel or clarity around his position," Mr Cranney said.

Mr Drumgold's lawyer Terry O'Gorman disagreed, saying Mr Sofronoff had been made aware of the orders last week, and stressing there was "no common sense reason that all orders we request be made today not be made."

Ms Reece ordered Mr Drumgold file an originating application by tomorrow, and the matter be listed for another directions hearing next week to determine further timetabling.

The matter will likely be heard across two days next year, depending on whether there are large disputes over facts.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/shane-drumgolds-case-against-sofronoff-inquiry-to-be-heard-by-victorian-judge/news-story/57d3ca3eaff2320cae19596e6e299c31

#19487516 at 2023-09-04 10:02:04 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 23
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 5
>>19452895 Shane Drumgold takes legal action against Sofronoff Inquiry - Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is taking legal action against the Sofronoff Inquiry, following its finding that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct in the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann. Mr Drumgold, who resigned from his position as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions following the damning report, has listed a case in the ACT Supreme Court for 14 September. The nature of the legal action is not yet known but Mr Drumgold is likely to be seeking to challenge the board of inquiry findings. Mr Drumgold conceded he made mistakes in his prosecution of Mr Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins but rejected the key findings of the inquiry that he had lied to the Supreme Court and engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct.
>>19452897 Lehrmann prosecutor seeks to quash damning findings from Sofronoff inquiry - Former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has launched legal action to overturn damning findings about his conduct made by the board of inquiry into the high-profile Bruce Lehrmann trial, and to stop the territory government from taking any action against him based on the report. In judicial review proceedings filed in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday last week, Drumgold is seeking to quash the report by former judge Walter Sofronoff, KC, who controversially leaked it to select media outlets before its official release. Drumgold argues the leak failed to comply with section 17 of the Inquiries Act, denied him natural justice and gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of Sofronoff.
>>19464960 Sofronoff demands ACT Chief Minister retract "unethical" claims - Inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC has demanded ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr retract suggestions he had breached his duties and acted unethically in releasing his report into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann. Lawyers acting for Sofronoff Inquiry chairman have written to Mr Barr rejecting criticism made by the chief minister at a press conference earlier this month, following publication of Mr Sofronoff's damning findings against ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. In a veiled threat to take legal action, Mr Sofronoff's lawyers say they are writing to give Mr Barr "an opportunity to correct the harm he has caused to Mr Sofronoff's professional reputation."

#19487515 at 2023-09-04 10:01:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 22
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 4
>>19326721 Linda Reynolds blasts 'social crusader' ACT DPP Shane Drumgold - Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has criticised outgoing ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold for his treatment of her in the witness box during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann, and for comments he made as he resigned from the position, saying when she first read them, she "thought it was a joke". "If there was ever any doubt of the need for the Sofronoff inquiry, the DPP's own statement justified it," Senator Reynolds told The Australian. "It was clearly the voice of a social crusader, not a DPP, and it was clear to me that it was in his mind, the ends justified the means."
>>19326748 ACT government weighs charges against Shane Drumgold after Sofronoff report - The ACT government has endorsed findings that its chief prosecutor, Shane ?Drumgold, acted grossly unethically, but the capital's Labor-Greens administration will not investigate other cases he led and has not decided whether to charge him. On Monday afternoon, the Barr government released the full ?report of the Sofronoff inquiry, announcing it supported its 10 recommendations but saying it did not consider it necessary to look at any of the 18 cases Mr Drumgold conducted or participated in since his appointment as Director of Public Prosecutions in 2019.
>>19333459 Linda Reynolds' defamation case against David Sharaz gets trial date - Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz will front court in a defamation case levelled against him by West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds in a three-week trial provisionally set for May 2024. Reynolds is demanding the former press gallery journalist pay damages, as well as aggravated damages, over five social media posts, and has requested an injunction preventing the material from surfacing in future. The case has already been beset by delays, with the court having to issue special orders in July just to serve Sharaz with defamation papers, after Reynolds' lawyers spent six months trying to track him down.
>>19417664 Senator Linda Reynolds' defamation case against Brittany Higgins' fiance to 'end in tears financially', court told - The lawyer for the fiance of former political staffer Brittany Higgins has told the WA Supreme Court a defamation case against his client will "end in tears financially," with legal costs potentially reaching millions of dollars. In a hearing lasting nearly three hours, Mr Sharaz's lawyer Jason MacLaurin argued the matter would "end in tears financially" for both parties, no matter the outcome, with legal bills amassing to "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars," which would leave the parties "financially uncomfortable." Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett retorted such matters usually end in tears one way or the other. The matter is set to go to trial in May, with lawyers for both Senator Reynolds and Mr Sharaz meeting before Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon to discuss a security for costs application.
>>19446083 Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann to take stand in defamation trial - A Federal Court judge has revealed both Brittany Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann will take the stand during the defamation matters between Mr Lehrmann and two media organisations, as the court debates the admissibility of expert evidence stating false sexual assault complaints as "rare". Both former Liberal staffers at the centre of an alleged rape in Parliament House will give verbal evidence during the defamation cases of Mr Lehrmann and Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, and a separate matter between Mr Lehrmann and the ABC. The matters are expected to be heard together across four weeks in November.
>>19446088 Ten wants to use expert evidence on Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication - Network Ten is seeking to rely on expert evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case about sexual assault victims' typical behaviour and Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication on the night she alleges she was raped by Lehrmann in Parliament House. The Federal Court trial against the broadcaster is slated to start in Sydney on November 22. Barrister Tim Senior, acting for Ten, told the court at a preliminary hearing on Monday that the network would call 28 witnesses, including Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. Senior said Ten also wanted to tender two expert reports, on "the reactions and responses of victims of sexual assault ... and how things like memory may be affected", and a toxicology expert's opinion about Higgins' level of intoxication on the night in question.

#19487514 at 2023-09-04 10:01:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 21
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 3
>>19308125 DPP Shane Drumgold resigns in wake of misconduct findings - ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold has resigned in the wake of the damning findings of the Sofronoff Inquiry and is expected to retire. On Sunday ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury confirmed that he had spoken to Mr Drumgold last Thursday and "in light of the commentary in the report" the pair had "agreed that his position as Director of Public Prosecutions was no longer tenable".
>>19314741 ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold hits back against inquiry after resignation - ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has accused the head of the inquiry into the Bruce Lehrmann rape case of denying him procedural fairness, and has disputed many of the probe's findings after resigning from his high-profile role last week. In a written statement on Sunday, Drumgold denied acting dishonestly or underhandedly after inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff, KC, found he had lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial, and said the inquiry had missed the opportunity to focus on systemic issues in the justice system instead of focusing largely on him. "Although I accept my conduct was less than perfect, my decisions were all made in good faith, under intense and sometimes crippling pressure, conducted within increasingly unmanageable workloads," Drumgold said.
>>19314830 Drumgold and Sofronoff face investigation in Lehrmann inquiry fallout - ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold, SC, and Walter Sofronoff, KC, the former judge who led the high-profile inquiry into authorities' handling of the Lehrmann trial, face investigations that could lead to them both having charges brought against them. In their interim response to the inquiry's 839-page report on the "case like no other", ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury foreshadowed further investigations into Drumgold, who was heavily criticised in the findings, and Sofronoff, who leaked them to select journalists.
>>19320737 'Fair go for Shane Drumgold' case springs a giant leak - "Shane Drumgold has claimed that the leak of the Sofronoff Report denied him procedural fairness. The same notion has been echoed by other people who appear more concerned about a leak to a newspaper than the substance of a report that found that the chief prosecutor was guilty of serious misconduct in office. Drumgold, along with sections of the media, and the ACT Labor government, can excite themselves all they wish about leaks to a newspaper. The Australian did not breach an embargo and will not reveal the source of the leak. It's curious that those who have spent years defending Julian Assange for leaking stories that may have undermined national security are now hot and bothered about a leaked report that found a DPP who wields enormous state power against citizens behaved improperly. A case of politics or sore losers? Maybe both." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>19326680 Police careers destroyed by ACT DPP Shane Drumgold's false claims - Many senior and junior police involved in the investigation of Brittany Higgins's rape claims have lost their jobs or gone on long-term sick leave and will never return to policing in the wake of baseless accusations against them by ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. Thirteen Australian Federal Police officers involved in the investigation of the claims, including Detective Superintendent Scott Moller, have told The Australian of catastrophic damage to their lives and careers from the inquiry he demanded.
>>19326705 'Absolutely awful to me': Brittany Higgins hits out at police in response to damning Sofronoff Inquiry findings - Brittany Higgins has blasted investigators in the Bruce Lehrmann rape case in a statement published on her boyfriend's social media after she deleted her own Twitter account. While inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC was scathing of the conduct of former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold which was described as "grossly unethical" - he praised police for performing their duties in "absolute good faith". However, Ms Higgins slammed investigating officers and accused them of being "absolutely awful to me". In reference to a police executive summary outlining discrepancies in her story - which was found to have been withheld from Mr Lehrmann's defence team by Mr Drumgold - Ms Higgins said officers tried to "discredit" her. "They wrongly handed over my most private thoughts taken over years in counselling sessions at the Rape Crisis Centre to defence," Ms Higgins said via her boyfriend David Sharaz's Twitter account.

#19487512 at 2023-09-04 10:00:49 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 20
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 2
>>19284078 Former judge Walter Sofronoff KC finds police were right to charge Bruce Lehrmann but lashed DPP's conduct - A landmark inquiry into the trial of Bruce Lehrmann has found the prosecution was properly brought but made damning findings about the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Sources who have been briefed on the contents of the report have told news.com.au that Walter Sofronoff KC, a former Supreme Court judge in Queensland, finds that police acted lawfully when they charged Mr Lehrmann. It also finds that the decision of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute based on the evidence available was correct. - Samantha Maiden - news.com.au
>>19289705 Video: Sofronoff report reveals Shane Drumgold lied during Bruce Lehrmann rape case - ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold knowingly lied to the Supreme Court, engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct, "preyed on a junior lawyer's inexperience", ?betrayed that junior lawyer who trusted him, and treated criminal litigation as "a poker game in which a prosecutor can hide the cards," the Sofronoff Inquiry has found. In findings that are certain to end Mr Drumgold's career as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions and may lead to criminal prosecution against him for perverting the course of justice, inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless. - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289796 Sofronoff inquiry: ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'threw his newest junior under the bus' - Spare a thought for Shane Drumgold's hidden victims - the trusting junior staff who unwittingly did the chief prosecutor's dirty work only to be thrown under the bus as his web of lies unravelled. Drumgold's betrayal of his loyal team ranged from directing an inexperienced young lawyer to swear a false affidavit to blaming an office administrator for wrongly releasing a document under Freedom of Information laws when he ordered her to do it. Inquiry chief Walter Sofronoff KC was clearly infuriated by Drumgold's willingness to abuse the trust of innocent members of his team, labelling it "shameful" and an abuse of his authority. - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289813 Lisa Wilkinson, Shane Drumgold and the Logies speech lie - TV host Lisa Wilkinson's now-infamous Logies speech has come back to bite ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, after he was caught lying about it to a Supreme Court judge. Mr Drumgold said he warned the star - who first aired Brittany Higgins' rape allegations on Ten's The Project in 2021 - about the danger of prejudicing Bruce Lehrmann's upcoming rape trial before she gave the speech accepting a Logie award for her reporting. Wilkinson rejected that, saying Mr Drumgold "did not at any time" give her the warning he claimed. Mr Drumgold presented a note of the conference to Chief Justice McCallum as if it had been written contemporaneously by a junior lawyer present at the meeting. It hadn't. That part of the note that was critical to the Chief Justice was effectively written by Mr Drumgold days later after Wilkinson gave her speech - and after it became clear the upcoming trial was in jeopardy because of it. Mr Sofronoff found that Mr Drumgold "knowingly lied to the Chief Justice". - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289859 Shane Drumgold's time as DPP is surely at an end - Shane Drumgold is without a doubt the biggest loser in Walter Sofronoff's report on what went wrong during the Brittany Higgins rape trial. But he might not be alone. The next biggest loser might turn out to be the ACT government - which was already on notice that the contents of this report would determine whether it would be hit with a damages bill worth millions of dollars.
>>19289887 Linda Reynolds sues Brittany Higgins for defamation over Instagram post - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has made good on her threat to sue Brittany Higgins for defamation for a social media post accusing her of harassment, issuing a writ against her former staffer in the West Australian Supreme Court. According to the writ, Reynolds is suing Higgins for aggravated damages over an Instagram story on July 4 and a Twitter post on July 20, both of which she claimed were defamatory of her. The former defence minister is also claiming the posts constituted a breach of a deed of settlement and release the pair signed back in March 2021, which contained a non-disparagement clause.

#19487510 at 2023-09-04 10:00:21 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #32: YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS FIGHT Edition

#31 - Part 19
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 1
>>19194509 Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann parliament CCTV footage handed to court - Critical CCTV footage of Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins in parliament house on the night of her alleged rape has been handed over to court after Sue Chrysanthou SC, acting for Lisa Wilkinson in the defamation proceedings, demanded to know why it wasn't produced earlier.
>>19204809 'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Linda Reynolds blasts DPP Shane Drumgold over Brittany Higgins case - Former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has launched a blistering attack on ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, accusing him of making "baseless and unsubstantiated allegations" that she was motivated by political forces to suppress Brittany Higgins' rape complaint.
>>19211199 'Prefer to silence victims': Brittany Higgins blasts Linda Reynolds - Brittany Higgins has blasted former defence minister Linda Reynolds for suggesting it should be illegal for anyone who believes a crime has been committed to fail to report it to police, saying "instead of solving the problem, there are people who would prefer to just silence victims".
>>19257140 Who will take the fall for the Lehrmann controversy? - "There is really only one issue to look for next week when Walter Sofronoff gives the government of the ACT the report of his inquiry into the disastrous Brittany Higgins rape trial. Will anyone take the fall for the now abandoned rape prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann? Will blame be divided among the individuals who were targeted by the ACT government in the terms of reference it drew up for Sofronoff's inquiry? Or will Sofronoff take a broader approach, one that would enable him to consider the impact of legal structures that have been put in place by the government itself?" - Chris Merritt vice-president of the Rule of Law Institute of Australia - theaustralian.com.au
>>19262626 Sofronoff findings on DPP Shane Drumgold to be kept secret for weeks - In a shock move, the ACT government will keep secret the findings of the Sofronoff inquiry into the prosecution for rape of Bruce Lehrmann for at least a month as it ponders how to deal with what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. It had been anticipated that when inquiry head Walter Sof?ronoff KC delivered his much-anticipated report on Monday, it would be released immediately but the government will now consider the report "through a proper cabinet" process that ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly "updated" at the end of August.
>>19278214 'No excuse' for report on Lehrmann rape case to be secret - "The ACT government has decreed that the findings of inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC will be kept secret for at least another month. There is no excuse for such a delay; not that Chief Minister Andrew Barr has bothered to offer one. Barr says he "currently intends" to table some or all of the report at the end of August, at which time he "may" provide an interim response, pending a final response that "may take several months"." - Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19278237 Revenge of Bruce Lehrmann: ACT DPP on trial - Bruce Lehrmann will lodge a multimillion-dollar claim for compensation against the ACT Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as the territory government examines what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. Mr Lehrmann's explosive claim of malfeasance by the ODPP emerged on the same day the ACT government received the Sofronoff report into misconduct in the prosecution case against the former Liberal staffer.
>>19284047 ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'at risk of charges' if he misled court - If ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is found to have knowingly made false statements to the Supreme Court to prevent defence lawyers obtaining police documents, he may face an investi?gation for attempting to pervert the course of justice. A number of senior lawyers have told The Australian that if Mr Drumgold is found by the Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately misled ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial last year, it could lead to criminal ?charges against him.

#19487375 at 2023-09-04 09:06:30 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 23
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 5
>>19452895 Shane Drumgold takes legal action against Sofronoff Inquiry - Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is taking legal action against the Sofronoff Inquiry, following its finding that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct in the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann. Mr Drumgold, who resigned from his position as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions following the damning report, has listed a case in the ACT Supreme Court for 14 September. The nature of the legal action is not yet known but Mr Drumgold is likely to be seeking to challenge the board of inquiry findings. Mr Drumgold conceded he made mistakes in his prosecution of Mr Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins but rejected the key findings of the inquiry that he had lied to the Supreme Court and engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct.
>>19452897 Lehrmann prosecutor seeks to quash damning findings from Sofronoff inquiry - Former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has launched legal action to overturn damning findings about his conduct made by the board of inquiry into the high-profile Bruce Lehrmann trial, and to stop the territory government from taking any action against him based on the report. In judicial review proceedings filed in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday last week, Drumgold is seeking to quash the report by former judge Walter Sofronoff, KC, who controversially leaked it to select media outlets before its official release. Drumgold argues the leak failed to comply with section 17 of the Inquiries Act, denied him natural justice and gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of Sofronoff.
>>19464960 Sofronoff demands ACT Chief Minister retract "unethical" claims - Inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC has demanded ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr retract suggestions he had breached his duties and acted unethically in releasing his report into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann. Lawyers acting for Sofronoff Inquiry chairman have written to Mr Barr rejecting criticism made by the chief minister at a press conference earlier this month, following publication of Mr Sofronoff's damning findings against ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. In a veiled threat to take legal action, Mr Sofronoff's lawyers say they are writing to give Mr Barr "an opportunity to correct the harm he has caused to Mr Sofronoff's professional reputation."

#19487374 at 2023-09-04 09:05:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 22
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 4
>>19326721 Linda Reynolds blasts 'social crusader' ACT DPP Shane Drumgold - Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has criticised outgoing ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold for his treatment of her in the witness box during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann, and for comments he made as he resigned from the position, saying when she first read them, she "thought it was a joke". "If there was ever any doubt of the need for the Sofronoff inquiry, the DPP's own statement justified it," Senator Reynolds told The Australian. "It was clearly the voice of a social crusader, not a DPP, and it was clear to me that it was in his mind, the ends justified the means."
>>19326748 ACT government weighs charges against Shane Drumgold after Sofronoff report - The ACT government has endorsed findings that its chief prosecutor, Shane ?Drumgold, acted grossly unethically, but the capital's Labor-Greens administration will not investigate other cases he led and has not decided whether to charge him. On Monday afternoon, the Barr government released the full ?report of the Sofronoff inquiry, announcing it supported its 10 recommendations but saying it did not consider it necessary to look at any of the 18 cases Mr Drumgold conducted or participated in since his appointment as Director of Public Prosecutions in 2019.
>>19333459 Linda Reynolds' defamation case against David Sharaz gets trial date - Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz will front court in a defamation case levelled against him by West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds in a three-week trial provisionally set for May 2024. Reynolds is demanding the former press gallery journalist pay damages, as well as aggravated damages, over five social media posts, and has requested an injunction preventing the material from surfacing in future. The case has already been beset by delays, with the court having to issue special orders in July just to serve Sharaz with defamation papers, after Reynolds' lawyers spent six months trying to track him down.
>>19417664 Senator Linda Reynolds' defamation case against Brittany Higgins' fiance to 'end in tears financially', court told - The lawyer for the fiance of former political staffer Brittany Higgins has told the WA Supreme Court a defamation case against his client will "end in tears financially," with legal costs potentially reaching millions of dollars. In a hearing lasting nearly three hours, Mr Sharaz's lawyer Jason MacLaurin argued the matter would "end in tears financially" for both parties, no matter the outcome, with legal bills amassing to "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars," which would leave the parties "financially uncomfortable." Senator Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett retorted such matters usually end in tears one way or the other. The matter is set to go to trial in May, with lawyers for both Senator Reynolds and Mr Sharaz meeting before Supreme Court Justice Marcus Solomon to discuss a security for costs application.
>>19446083 Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann to take stand in defamation trial - A Federal Court judge has revealed both Brittany Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann will take the stand during the defamation matters between Mr Lehrmann and two media organisations, as the court debates the admissibility of expert evidence stating false sexual assault complaints as "rare". Both former Liberal staffers at the centre of an alleged rape in Parliament House will give verbal evidence during the defamation cases of Mr Lehrmann and Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, and a separate matter between Mr Lehrmann and the ABC. The matters are expected to be heard together across four weeks in November.
>>19446088 Ten wants to use expert evidence on Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication - Network Ten is seeking to rely on expert evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case about sexual assault victims' typical behaviour and Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication on the night she alleges she was raped by Lehrmann in Parliament House. The Federal Court trial against the broadcaster is slated to start in Sydney on November 22. Barrister Tim Senior, acting for Ten, told the court at a preliminary hearing on Monday that the network would call 28 witnesses, including Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. Senior said Ten also wanted to tender two expert reports, on "the reactions and responses of victims of sexual assault ... and how things like memory may be affected", and a toxicology expert's opinion about Higgins' level of intoxication on the night in question.

#19487372 at 2023-09-04 09:05:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 21
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 3
>>19308125 DPP Shane Drumgold resigns in wake of misconduct findings - ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold has resigned in the wake of the damning findings of the Sofronoff Inquiry and is expected to retire. On Sunday ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury confirmed that he had spoken to Mr Drumgold last Thursday and "in light of the commentary in the report" the pair had "agreed that his position as Director of Public Prosecutions was no longer tenable".
>>19314741 ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold hits back against inquiry after resignation - ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has accused the head of the inquiry into the Bruce Lehrmann rape case of denying him procedural fairness, and has disputed many of the probe's findings after resigning from his high-profile role last week. In a written statement on Sunday, Drumgold denied acting dishonestly or underhandedly after inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff, KC, found he had lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial, and said the inquiry had missed the opportunity to focus on systemic issues in the justice system instead of focusing largely on him. "Although I accept my conduct was less than perfect, my decisions were all made in good faith, under intense and sometimes crippling pressure, conducted within increasingly unmanageable workloads," Drumgold said.
>>19314830 Drumgold and Sofronoff face investigation in Lehrmann inquiry fallout - ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold, SC, and Walter Sofronoff, KC, the former judge who led the high-profile inquiry into authorities' handling of the Lehrmann trial, face investigations that could lead to them both having charges brought against them. In their interim response to the inquiry's 839-page report on the "case like no other", ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury foreshadowed further investigations into Drumgold, who was heavily criticised in the findings, and Sofronoff, who leaked them to select journalists.
>>19320737 'Fair go for Shane Drumgold' case springs a giant leak - "Shane Drumgold has claimed that the leak of the Sofronoff Report denied him procedural fairness. The same notion has been echoed by other people who appear more concerned about a leak to a newspaper than the substance of a report that found that the chief prosecutor was guilty of serious misconduct in office. Drumgold, along with sections of the media, and the ACT Labor government, can excite themselves all they wish about leaks to a newspaper. The Australian did not breach an embargo and will not reveal the source of the leak. It's curious that those who have spent years defending Julian Assange for leaking stories that may have undermined national security are now hot and bothered about a leaked report that found a DPP who wields enormous state power against citizens behaved improperly. A case of politics or sore losers? Maybe both." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>19326680 Police careers destroyed by ACT DPP Shane Drumgold's false claims - Many senior and junior police involved in the investigation of Brittany Higgins's rape claims have lost their jobs or gone on long-term sick leave and will never return to policing in the wake of baseless accusations against them by ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. Thirteen Australian Federal Police officers involved in the investigation of the claims, including Detective Superintendent Scott Moller, have told The Australian of catastrophic damage to their lives and careers from the inquiry he demanded.
>>19326705 'Absolutely awful to me': Brittany Higgins hits out at police in response to damning Sofronoff Inquiry findings - Brittany Higgins has blasted investigators in the Bruce Lehrmann rape case in a statement published on her boyfriend's social media after she deleted her own Twitter account. While inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC was scathing of the conduct of former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold which was described as "grossly unethical" - he praised police for performing their duties in "absolute good faith". However, Ms Higgins slammed investigating officers and accused them of being "absolutely awful to me". In reference to a police executive summary outlining discrepancies in her story - which was found to have been withheld from Mr Lehrmann's defence team by Mr Drumgold - Ms Higgins said officers tried to "discredit" her. "They wrongly handed over my most private thoughts taken over years in counselling sessions at the Rape Crisis Centre to defence," Ms Higgins said via her boyfriend David Sharaz's Twitter account.

#19487371 at 2023-09-04 09:04:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 20
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 2
>>19284078 Former judge Walter Sofronoff KC finds police were right to charge Bruce Lehrmann but lashed DPP's conduct - A landmark inquiry into the trial of Bruce Lehrmann has found the prosecution was properly brought but made damning findings about the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Sources who have been briefed on the contents of the report have told news.com.au that Walter Sofronoff KC, a former Supreme Court judge in Queensland, finds that police acted lawfully when they charged Mr Lehrmann. It also finds that the decision of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute based on the evidence available was correct. - Samantha Maiden - news.com.au
>>19289705 Video: Sofronoff report reveals Shane Drumgold lied during Bruce Lehrmann rape case - ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold knowingly lied to the Supreme Court, engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct, "preyed on a junior lawyer's inexperience", ?betrayed that junior lawyer who trusted him, and treated criminal litigation as "a poker game in which a prosecutor can hide the cards," the Sofronoff Inquiry has found. In findings that are certain to end Mr Drumgold's career as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions and may lead to criminal prosecution against him for perverting the course of justice, inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless. - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289796 Sofronoff inquiry: ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'threw his newest junior under the bus' - Spare a thought for Shane Drumgold's hidden victims - the trusting junior staff who unwittingly did the chief prosecutor's dirty work only to be thrown under the bus as his web of lies unravelled. Drumgold's betrayal of his loyal team ranged from directing an inexperienced young lawyer to swear a false affidavit to blaming an office administrator for wrongly releasing a document under Freedom of Information laws when he ordered her to do it. Inquiry chief Walter Sofronoff KC was clearly infuriated by Drumgold's willingness to abuse the trust of innocent members of his team, labelling it "shameful" and an abuse of his authority. - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289813 Lisa Wilkinson, Shane Drumgold and the Logies speech lie - TV host Lisa Wilkinson's now-infamous Logies speech has come back to bite ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, after he was caught lying about it to a Supreme Court judge. Mr Drumgold said he warned the star - who first aired Brittany Higgins' rape allegations on Ten's The Project in 2021 - about the danger of prejudicing Bruce Lehrmann's upcoming rape trial before she gave the speech accepting a Logie award for her reporting. Wilkinson rejected that, saying Mr Drumgold "did not at any time" give her the warning he claimed. Mr Drumgold presented a note of the conference to Chief Justice McCallum as if it had been written contemporaneously by a junior lawyer present at the meeting. It hadn't. That part of the note that was critical to the Chief Justice was effectively written by Mr Drumgold days later after Wilkinson gave her speech - and after it became clear the upcoming trial was in jeopardy because of it. Mr Sofronoff found that Mr Drumgold "knowingly lied to the Chief Justice". - Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19289859 Shane Drumgold's time as DPP is surely at an end - Shane Drumgold is without a doubt the biggest loser in Walter Sofronoff's report on what went wrong during the Brittany Higgins rape trial. But he might not be alone. The next biggest loser might turn out to be the ACT government - which was already on notice that the contents of this report would determine whether it would be hit with a damages bill worth millions of dollars.
>>19289887 Linda Reynolds sues Brittany Higgins for defamation over Instagram post - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has made good on her threat to sue Brittany Higgins for defamation for a social media post accusing her of harassment, issuing a writ against her former staffer in the West Australian Supreme Court. According to the writ, Reynolds is suing Higgins for aggravated damages over an Instagram story on July 4 and a Twitter post on July 20, both of which she claimed were defamatory of her. The former defence minister is also claiming the posts constituted a breach of a deed of settlement and release the pair signed back in March 2021, which contained a non-disparagement clause.

#19487369 at 2023-09-04 09:02:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#31 - Part 19
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 1
>>19194509 Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann parliament CCTV footage handed to court - Critical CCTV footage of Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins in parliament house on the night of her alleged rape has been handed over to court after Sue Chrysanthou SC, acting for Lisa Wilkinson in the defamation proceedings, demanded to know why it wasn't produced earlier.
>>19204809 'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Linda Reynolds blasts DPP Shane Drumgold over Brittany Higgins case - Former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has launched a blistering attack on ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, accusing him of making "baseless and unsubstantiated allegations" that she was motivated by political forces to suppress Brittany Higgins' rape complaint.
>>19211199 'Prefer to silence victims': Brittany Higgins blasts Linda Reynolds - Brittany Higgins has blasted former defence minister Linda Reynolds for suggesting it should be illegal for anyone who believes a crime has been committed to fail to report it to police, saying "instead of solving the problem, there are people who would prefer to just silence victims".
>>19257140 Who will take the fall for the Lehrmann controversy? - "There is really only one issue to look for next week when Walter Sofronoff gives the government of the ACT the report of his inquiry into the disastrous Brittany Higgins rape trial. Will anyone take the fall for the now abandoned rape prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann? Will blame be divided among the individuals who were targeted by the ACT government in the terms of reference it drew up for Sofronoff's inquiry? Or will Sofronoff take a broader approach, one that would enable him to consider the impact of legal structures that have been put in place by the government itself?" - Chris Merritt vice-president of the Rule of Law Institute of Australia - theaustralian.com.au
>>19262626 Sofronoff findings on DPP Shane Drumgold to be kept secret for weeks - In a shock move, the ACT government will keep secret the findings of the Sofronoff inquiry into the prosecution for rape of Bruce Lehrmann for at least a month as it ponders how to deal with what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. It had been anticipated that when inquiry head Walter Sof?ronoff KC delivered his much-anticipated report on Monday, it would be released immediately but the government will now consider the report "through a proper cabinet" process that ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly "updated" at the end of August.
>>19278214 'No excuse' for report on Lehrmann rape case to be secret - "The ACT government has decreed that the findings of inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC will be kept secret for at least another month. There is no excuse for such a delay; not that Chief Minister Andrew Barr has bothered to offer one. Barr says he "currently intends" to table some or all of the report at the end of August, at which time he "may" provide an interim response, pending a final response that "may take several months"." - Stephen Rice - theaustralian.com.au
>>19278237 Revenge of Bruce Lehrmann: ACT DPP on trial - Bruce Lehrmann will lodge a multimillion-dollar claim for compensation against the ACT Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as the territory government examines what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold. Mr Lehrmann's explosive claim of malfeasance by the ODPP emerged on the same day the ACT government received the Sofronoff report into misconduct in the prosecution case against the former Liberal staffer.
>>19284047 ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'at risk of charges' if he misled court - If ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is found to have knowingly made false statements to the Supreme Court to prevent defence lawyers obtaining police documents, he may face an investi?gation for attempting to pervert the course of justice. A number of senior lawyers have told The Australian that if Mr Drumgold is found by the Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately misled ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial last year, it could lead to criminal ?charges against him.

#19464960 at 2023-08-31 09:40:39 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19452895
>>19452897
Sofronoff demands ACT Chief Minister retract "unethical" claims

STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 31, 2023

1/2

Inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC has demanded ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr retract suggestions he had breached his duties and acted unethically in releasing his report into the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann.

Lawyers acting for Sofronoff Inquiry chairman have written to Mr Barr rejecting criticism made by the chief minister at a press conference earlier this month, following publication of Mr Sofronoff's damning findings against ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold.

In a veiled threat to take legal action, Mr Sofronoff's lawyers say they are writing to give Mr Barr "an opportunity to correct the harm he has caused to Mr Sofronoff's professional reputation."

In an extraordinary move, Mr Barr had suggested Mr Sofronoff could face charges or a referral to the national corruption watchdog over the premature leak of his report into the handling of the trial of Mr Lehrmann, the contents of which were published by The Australian.

Mr Barr said "a reasonably straight reading" of the Inquiries Act would indicate Mr Sofronoff had breached the law by providing journalists with copies of the report prior to its release by the government.

"We will consider our position in relation to that," the Chief Minister said.

Mr Barr also said he found Mr Sofronoff's engagement with journalists during the Inquiry was "concerning."

"Mr Barr was wrong to say that Mr Sofronoff had contravened the Act and to impute that he had behaved in bad faith," Mr Sofronoff's lawyers said in the letter dated 17 August, released on Thursday.

Mr Sofronoff's lawyers said it was clear there had been no breach of the Inquiries Act, which expressly permits the board to "do whatever it considers necessary or convenient for the fair and prompt conduct of the inquiry."

They pointed out that Mr Sofronoff had stated publicly at the hearings that he would freely engage with journalists "to ensure that they can obtain a full understanding of what the evidence means and what may be the significance and ramifications of the evidence".

Mr Sofronoff said he had given copies of his report to two reputable senior journalists who wrote for mainstream media organisations, The Australian's Janet Albrechtsen and the ABC's Elizabeth Byrne, and had conversations with both of them during the inquiry.

Neither of them ever breached his confidence during that time, he said.

"There was not the slightest reason to suppose that either of them would break their word about the serious matter of an embargo; and nobody has said that either of them have done so", he said.

The Australian did not breach an embargo and will not reveal the source of the leak.

(continued)

#19452897 at 2023-08-29 10:19:59 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19452895
Lehrmann prosecutor seeks to quash damning findings from Sofronoff inquiry

Natassia Chrysanthos and Georgina Mitchell - August 29, 2023

Former ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has launched legal action to overturn damning findings about his conduct made by the board of inquiry into the high-profile Bruce Lehrmann trial, and to stop the territory government from taking any action against him based on the report.

In judicial review proceedings filed in the ACT Supreme Court on Friday last week, Drumgold is seeking to quash the report by former judge Walter Sofronoff, KC, who controversially leaked it to select media outlets before its official release.

Drumgold argues the leak failed to comply with section 17 of the Inquiries Act, denied him natural justice and gave rise to a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of Sofronoff.

Lawyers for Drumgold argue some of Sofronoff's findings against him were legally unreasonable, including that he breached his duty as a prosecutor. They also say Drumgold was not given a fair hearing in relation to other findings, and that some of Sofronoff's findings were out of the inquiry's jurisdiction because they did not relate to its terms of reference.

ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury earlier this month indicated he was considering whether Drumgold should be prosecuted, given the report's findings had met the statutory threshold for dismissal for misbehaviour in office.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr also said the government was seeking advice about whether Sofronoff had breached the Inquiries Act.

Drumgold's proceedings - the latest in a number to have emerged in connection with the Lehrmann case - seek an injunction to stop Rattenbury from taking action against him under the DPP Act based on Sofronoff's report.

The case, listed for a directions hearing on September 14, names the board of inquiry, the Australian Capital Territory and the ACT attorney-general as defendants.

The territory government commissioned the board of inquiry to investigate authorities' handling of last year's Lehrmann trial following a dispute between Drumgold and police about the investigation.

In the inquiry's report, Sofronoff was highly critical of Drumgold's conduct. While he noted the prosecution was properly brought, he found the top prosecutor lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial and improperly questioned former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds on the stand.

However, Sofronoff's inquiry was itself brought into disrepute when it emerged the former judge selectively leaked a copy of his final report to journalists before handing it to the ACT government. Sofronoff also briefed journalists throughout the inquiry.

Rattenbury said on Tuesday that Drumgold had concerns with the nature of the report and was seeking to challenge the findings made against him.

"I think the nature of this matter has been that it's been heavily contested, the parties involved have continued to seek pathways to pursue their argument, and Mr Drumgold is entitled to lodge these proceedings. It will now proceed through the court," Rattenbury said.

"Obviously, I'm limited in what I can say about it, given the ACT has been named as a respondent in the matter."

Drumgold was the lead prosecutor in the trial of Lehrmann, a former political staffer who was accused of sexually assaulting colleague Brittany Higgins in 2019. Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence. The trial was aborted in October due to juror misconduct and Drumgold decided against a retrial due to concerns over Higgins' mental health.

Drumgold has since stepped down as DPP and will not be able to practise as an ACT barrister once his resignation takes effect next month because his practising certificate, which is tied to his title, will no longer be valid.

Barr on Tuesday said he was advised that Drumgold had commenced legal proceedings related to the content of the board of inquiry's report but the proceedings had yet to be served on the territory.

"Accordingly, it is not appropriate for me to make further comment in relation to the findings of, and processes associated with, the report and its release," Barr said.

Neither Drumgold nor Sofronoff had responded to a request for comment on Tuesday.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/Lehrmann-prosecutor-files-legal-action-against-sofronoff-board-of-inquiry-20230829-p5e0al.html

#19452895 at 2023-08-29 10:15:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
Shane Drumgold takes legal action against Sofronoff Inquiry

STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 29, 2023

Former ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is taking legal action against the Sofronoff Inquiry, following its finding that he engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct in the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold, who resigned from his position as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions following the damning report, has listed a case in the ACT Supreme Court for 14 September.

The nature of the legal action is not yet known but Mr Drumgold is likely to be seeking to challenge the board of inquiry findings.

The Australian has sought comment from Mr Drumgold, who has been on paid leave since he appeared before the inquiry over five days in May. His resignation does not take effect until 1 September.

Mr Drumgold conceded he made mistakes in his prosecution of Mr Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins but rejected the key findings of the inquiry that he had lied to the Supreme Court and engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct.

After the report was leaked to the media, including to The Australian, Mr Drumgold said the report's early release had denied him procedural fairness.

"The pre-emptive release of the report to the media has denied me procedural fairness. It has deprived the ACT Government of the opportunity of considering my conduct objectively," Mr Drumgold said.

"Although I accept my conduct was less than perfect, my decisions were all made in good faith, under intense and sometimes crippling pressure, conducted within increasingly unmanageable workloads," he said.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr told the ACT Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that Mr Drumgold's legal action "will obviously occur in the context of the appropriate judicial review provisions."

"Accordingly, it is not appropriate for me to comment further in relation to the findings and processes associated with its report and its release," Mr Barr said.

Inquiry chairman Walter Sofronoff KC ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless and the chief prosecutor "did not act with fairness and detachment as was required by his role".

"The result has been a public inquiry, which was not justified by any of his allegations, that has caused lasting pain to many people and which has demonstrated his allegations to be not just incorrect, but wholly false and without any rational basis," Mr Sofronoff concluded.

"The cost of a six-month public inquiry ... has been huge."

In an extraordinary move earlier this month, Mr Barr suggested Mr Sofronoff could face charges or a referral to the national corruption watchdog over the premature leaking of his report.

Mr Barr said "a reasonably straight reading" of the Inquiries Act would indicate Mr Sofronoff had breached the law by providing journalists with copies of the ?report prior to its release by the government.

"We will consider our position in relation to that," the Chief Minister said.

"I'm not making any pre-judgments at this point. I think there is a degree of objectivity that is required in assessing whether this constitutes a breach."

However the government has refused to comment on whether Mr Drumgold will face ?charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice or the common law offence of misconduct in public office.

The Office of the DPP will now also face a multimillion-dollar claim by Mr Lehrmann on the grounds of malfeasance, following Mr Sofronoff's findings of gross misconduct by Mr Drumgold.

More to come

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/shane-drumgold-takes-legal-action-against-sofronoff-inquiry/news-story/5071e0c35c365d47e126aecd0ab848b6

#19446088 at 2023-08-28 09:21:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289887
>>19333459
Ten wants to use expert evidence on Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication

Michaela Whitbourn - August 28, 2023

Network Ten is seeking to rely on expert evidence in Bruce Lehrmann's defamation case about sexual assault victims' typical behaviour and Brittany Higgins' level of intoxication on the night she alleges she was raped by Lehrmann in Parliament House.

The Federal Court trial against the broadcaster is slated to start in Sydney on November 22. Barrister Tim Senior, acting for Ten, told the court at a preliminary hearing on Monday that the network would call 28 witnesses, including Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

Senior said Ten also wanted to tender two expert reports, on "the reactions and responses of victims of sexual assault … and how things like memory may be affected", and a toxicology expert's opinion about Higgins' level of intoxication on the night in question.

Matthew Richardson, SC, acting for Lehrmann, said the first report, written by a clinical psychologist, offered not only an opinion about "the typical behaviour of victims of sexual assault" but "also posits opinions that, for instance, false complaints are rare".

"There certainly will be objection to that evidence, starting from … whether or not there is a recognised field of expertise and so on, but also the conclusions and the opinions that are expressed, we would say, have no sufficient factual foundation," Richardson said.

"It really appears to be an analysis of academic papers. As to whether we will object to the toxicology report, we just haven't come to a view yet."

Justice Michael Lee said questions about the admissibility of the first report would be determined before the trial.

Lehrmann filed Federal Court defamation proceedings against Ten in February over an interview Wilkinson conducted with his former colleague Higgins on The Project, broadcast on February 15, 2021. Separate proceedings against News Corp, filed at the same time, have since settled.

He alleges the interview conveyed a series of defamatory meanings, including that he raped Higgins in then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds' office on March 23, 2019.

Lehrmann was not named in the broadcast, but his lawyers say he was identified via other means.

If the court finds Lehrmann was identified, Ten and Wilkinson admit they conveyed the defamatory claims alleged, including the central claim of rape, and will seek to rely chiefly on defences of truth and qualified privilege - a defence relating to publications of public interest which requires an outlet to have acted reasonably.

Lehrmann is also suing the ABC for defamation for broadcasting a National Press Club address last year by Grace Tame and Higgins. Lee said on Monday that the ABC proceedings, which raise narrower legal issues, would be heard at the same time as the Ten case. The broadcaster proposes to call five witnesses.

Lehrmann was named in the media in August 2021, six months after the Ten interview, when he was charged with sexual intercourse without consent.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge. His trial was aborted in October last year due to juror misconduct. The charge was later dropped altogether amid concerns about Higgins' mental health. Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/ten-wants-to-use-expert-evidence-on-brittany-higgins-level-of-intoxication-20230828-p5dzwo.html

#19446083 at 2023-08-28 09:19:17 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289887
>>19333459
Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann to take stand in defamation trial

ELLIE DUDLEY - AUGUST 28, 2023

A Federal Court judge has revealed both Brittany Higgins and Bruce Lehrmann will take the stand during the defamation matters between Mr Lehrmann and two media organisations, as the court debates the admissibility of expert evidence stating false sexual assault complaints as "rare".

Both former Liberal staffers at the centre of an alleged rape in Parliament House will give verbal evidence during the defamation cases of Mr Lehrmann and Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, and a separate matter between Mr Lehrmann and the ABC.

The matters are expected to be heard together across four weeks in November.

Ms Higgins has repeatedly stated her willingness to give evidence in the defamation proceedings, and on Monday morning Justice Michael Lee said it would be necessary for her to take the stand after she failed to deliver her written affidavit on time.

Tim Senior, acting for Ten and the ABC, told the court on Monday his legal team was unable to meet Ms Higgins due to her "unavailability".

"The delay, I am instructed, there were two reasons for that: Ms Higgins' unavailability, and the unavailability of her solicitor Mr Zwier," Mr Senior said. "The combination of those matters meant that we weren't able to conference with Ms Higgins."

While Network Ten served an outline of the affidavit on schedule, Justice Lee said there was "no explanation" as to why the full affidavit could not be filed on time.

"I think we'll just proceed on the basis she gives evidence by viva voce (verbal evidence)," he said.

Justice Lee said regardless of the schedule, he would have expected both Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins to give verbal evidence regarding the "critical incidents" that were alleged to have occurred in Parliament House.

"One of the reasons I would adopt that course I think, Mr Senior ... evidence of what might be described as the critical incidents, which are the subject of the truth defence, even if an affidavit was served, I think require the critical witnesses to give viva voce evidence in chief in any event," Justice Lee said.

Mr Lehrmann, who has consistently denied the rape allegations, is suing Ten and Wilkinson over an interview with Ms Higgins that aired on The Project in February 2021 detailing allegations Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House, but not naming Mr Lehrmann as the alleged attacker.

Network Ten will rely on a truth defence.

Mr Lehrmann is also suing the ABC over their decision to live broadcast a National Press Club address of Ms Higgins and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame. While Mr Lehrmann was not named in the address, he says the ABC used the address to deliberately try to prejudice his rape trial.

The ABC will rely on a public interest defence.

The Federal Court on Monday heard Mr Lehrmann's legal team will have four weeks to compile submissions arguing expert evidence from University of Sydney psychologist Chris Lennings is inadmissable.

Mr Senior said Dr Lennings' evidence would speak to the response of sexual assault victims and their actions following the event.

However Mr Lehrmann's barrister, Matthew Richardson SC, said he would "certainly" object to the admissibility of the evidence, as it claimed false sexual assault complaints are "rare" and seemed to simply be based on analysis of academic papers.

"As to the first report, which in addition to opining about the typical behaviour of victims of sexual assault, also posits opinions that for instance, false complaints are rare," he told the court.

"There certainly will be objection to that evidence starting from the basis of whether or not there's a recognised field of expertise and so on, but also the conclusions and the opinions that are expressed, we would say have no sufficient factual foundation it really appears to be an analysis of academic papers."

A second report from forensic toxicologist Michael Robertson will also be submitted into evidence, regarding "his observations and opinion about Ms Higgins and her level of intoxication on the night in question."

The matters will be heard together at a final hearing that begins on November 22. It is expected to last for around four weeks and will hear from about 30 witnesses.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/brittany-higgins-Bruce-Lehrmann-to-take-stand-in-defamation-trial/news-story/614dfbeed62cb7847b2a372a86149699

#19333459 at 2023-08-10 12:28:43 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19289887
>>19326721
Linda Reynolds' defamation case against David Sharaz gets trial date

Holly Thompson and Jesinta Burton - August 9, 2023

Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz will front court in a defamation case levelled against him by West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds in a three-week trial provisionally set for May 2024.

Reynolds is demanding the former press gallery journalist pay damages, as well as aggravated damages, over five social media posts, and has requested an injunction preventing the material from surfacing in future.

At a court hearing in Perth on Wednesday afternoon, Justice Marcus Solomon said he was setting the trial dates far in advance to avoid "skirmishes" between the two parties from developing "a life of their own" and dragging the case out.

The case has already been beset by delays, with the court having to issue special orders in July just to serve Sharaz with defamation papers, after Reynolds' lawyers spent six months trying to track him down.

Sharaz's lawyer Jason MacLaurin said he planned to submit a strikeout claim against all imputations against his client, but this was an issue he wanted to raise with Reynolds' team before officially doing so.

He also said Reynolds had decided to sue a private citizen in the WA Supreme Court when the case had nothing to do with the state, and there were grounds to consider that the matter should be heard under ACT laws, as Reynolds was only known as a senator.

Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett said that claim "grasps at an imaginary straw to bog this matter down", and it was "inappropriate for my friend across the table to make such an outrageous comment" about what Reynolds was known for.

"She is a senator for WA, elected by voters in WA … her reputation is one grounded in WA," he said.

Bennett also said it was "farfetched and ambitious" to say the imputations were false.

Solomon told the court that dismissing Reynolds' position in WA "minimises the significance of that to a degree I find a little surprising".

He said everything he had heard highlighted his concern the back-and-forth between parties would drag on if he did not set a preliminary trial date.

"It's amazing how fast these issues can be sorted with trial dates in sight," Solomon said.

The next court hearing will be on August 24, for the matters raised by MacLaurin to be addressed. The preliminary trial has been set for three weeks, starting on May 7.

Wednesday's hearing comes just days after Reynolds made good on her threat to sue Higgins for damages over two social media posts in which she accused Reynolds of using the press to harass her.

The former defence minister also said the posts were a breach of a deed of settlement and release the pair signed in March 2021, which contained a non-disparagement clause.

She has asked for two injunctions preventing Higgins from publishing defamatory material about her and preventing her from further breaches of the deed.

In 2021, Higgins alleged she was raped in Reynolds' parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

A criminal trial against Lehrmann, who has maintained his innocence throughout, was aborted last year due to juror misconduct, and the charge was dropped and a retrial dismissed over fears for Higgins' mental health.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/linda-reynolds-defamation-case-against-david-sharaz-gets-trial-date-20230809-p5dv7u.html

#19326748 at 2023-08-09 11:56:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19284047
>>19289705
>>19308125
ACT government weighs charges against Shane Drumgold after Sofronoff report

STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 8, 2023

1/2

The ACT government has ?endorsed findings that its chief prosecutor, Shane ?Drumgold, acted grossly unethically, but the capital's Labor-Greens administration will not investigate other cases he led and has not decided whether to charge him.

On Monday afternoon, the Barr government released the full ?report of the Sofronoff inquiry, announcing it supported its 10 recommendations but saying it did not consider it necessary to look at any of the 18 cases Mr Drumgold conducted or participated in since his appointment as Director of Public Prosecutions in 2019.

Mr Drumgold has announced his resignation as DPP and conceded he made mistakes in his prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins but rejected the key findings of the inquiry that he had lied to the Supreme Court and engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct.

In an extraordinary move, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr suggested inquiry chairman Walter Sofronoff could face charges or a referral to the national corruption watchdog over the premature leaking of his report into the handling of the trial of former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold claimed the early release of the report had ?"denied him procedural fairness".

ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury on Monday said the government was reviewing its ?options following the findings of the Sofronoff review and had written to Mr ?Drumgold inviting a response "before the government takes a final ?decision."

Mr Rattenbury said the report, in his view, "meets the threshold under Section 28 of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, which is the standard of misbehaviour in office which can lead to dismissal".

"On that basis, the government is also considering what other ?options may be available to it," the Attorney-General said.

Mr Drumgold could face ?charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice or the common law offence of misconduct in public office.

The Office of the DPP will now also face a multimillion-dollar claim by Mr Lehrmann on the grounds of malfeasance, following Mr Sofronoff's findings of gross misconduct by Mr Drumgold.

By contrast, Mr Sofronoff found police investigators and their immediate superior officers "performed their duties in absolute good faith, with great determination although faced with obstacles, and put together a sound case".

The key findings of the ?Sofronoff report were leaked to The Australian and published last week.

Mr Barr criticised the leaking of the report to media outlets prior to its official release, saying the move was very disappointing.

"Mr Sofronoff has confirmed to me in writing that he provided a copy of the report to a newspaper columnist and a broadcast journalist," Mr Barr said, suggesting these had been provided under embargo.

The Australian did not breach an embargo and will not reveal the source of the leak.

(continued)

#19326721 at 2023-08-09 11:48:11 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
>>19289887
Linda Reynolds blasts 'social crusader' ACT DPP Shane Drumgold

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 8, 2023

Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has criticised outgoing ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold for his treatment of her in the witness box during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann, and for comments he made as he resigned from the position, saying when she first read them, she "thought it was a joke".

"If there was ever any doubt of the need for the Sofronoff inquiry, the DPP's own statement justified it," Senator Reynolds told The Australian. "It was clearly the voice of a social crusader, not a DPP, and it was clear to me that it was in his mind, the ends justified the means."

Senator Reynolds gave evidence at the rape trial of Mr Lehrmann after Brittany Higgins claimed she had told her then boss she had been raped. Senator Reynolds testified that Ms Higgins had never made that claim.

During the trial, Mr Drumgold told the jury "political forces" explained the delay in Ms Higgins' complaint to the police, and that "it is abundantly clear from the evidence and actions of Senator Reynolds during this trial that those political forces were still a factor".

Mr Drumgold alleged strong political forces on numerous occasions during the trial.

However, Mr Sofronoff found "there was not a single piece of evidence that anyone had applied pressure upon Ms Higgins that could legitimately be described as 'strong political forces'".

During the inquiry Mr Drumgold admitted he was wrong to believe there had been any kind of political interference in the case.

Senator Reynolds said: "It sounds like the plot of a great political thriller, that these forces were at play in Parliament House, but anybody who knows anything knows there is no way that as a minister, either Michaelia Cash or I could have influenced the conduct of an investigation by the Australian Federal Police.

"It's just such a serious allegation, it's saying that we perverted the course of justice. Well, I think this has shown that he's the one - by being an activist - who's perverted the course of justice."

In his resignation statement Mr Drumgold said he had complained about the way police handled the case because it was "reflective of the chronic problem in Australia with the way our legal institutions deal with allegations of sexual violence".

He highlighted several statistics he said showed low numbers of sexual assault cases reported and prosecuted, especially in the ACT.

"He's admitted that's how he handled the case - because the numbers were low," Senator Reynolds said. "But each case in our judicial system has to be conducted on its merits in accordance with the rules.

"You can't just turn this into a quota to say, 'well, my numbers are low so therefore I'm going to do everything I can to get this conviction regardless of the truth', and treat witnesses like myself and others in a way that's most likely to result in a conviction.

"Justice has to be blind and he lost sight of that. As Mr Sofronoff found, he was not truthful, he lied. It's untenable for our justice system because everybody, whether you are a defendant or a complainant, you need to have confidence that the justice system is going to be objective and focused on the truth."

Senator Reynolds said it was no excuse for Mr Drumgold to say he had come from an underprivileged background, or grown up on a Housing Commission estate.

"There can be no excuse for a DPP to lie to the judge. Statistics, background, nothing, no excuses. They're not fit to be a DPP, because it doesn't matter what your background is, you have to be fair and equal to everybody."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/linda-reynolds-blasts-social-crusader-act-dpp-shane-drumgold/news-story/d99e072639b05186d922150da62f5dab

#19326705 at 2023-08-09 11:42:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
>>19326680
'Absolutely awful to me': Brittany Higgins hits out at police in response to damning Sofronoff Inquiry findings

Brittany Higgins has used her boyfriend's social media to break her silence on the damning findings of the Sofronoff report after recently deleting her Twitter as she fights legal action from Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds.

Tyrone Clarke - August 9, 2023

Brittany Higgins has blasted investigators in the Bruce Lehrmann rape case in a statement published on her boyfriend's social media after she deleted her own Twitter account.

Ms Higgins' statement is her first public response to the damning findings of the Sofronoff Inquiry into the handling of the investigation and trial of Mr Lehrmann.

While inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC was scathing of the conduct of former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold - which was described as "grossly unethical" - he praised police for performing their duties in "absolute good faith".

However, Ms Higgins slammed investigating officers and accused them of being "absolutely awful to me".

In reference to a police executive summary outlining discrepancies in her story - which was found to have been withheld from Mr Lehrmann's defence team by Mr Drumgold - Ms Higgins said officers tried to "discredit" her.

"They wrongly handed over my most private thoughts taken over years in counselling sessions at the Rape Crisis Centre to defence," Ms Higgins said via her boyfriend David Sharaz's Twitter account.

"These men were absolutely awful to me. They made me feel violated at every turn.

"I will always remember how small I felt having five senior police officers I've never met in a room belittling me - after I had just spent hours giving evidence in a second EIC (evidence in chief) interview.

"They cast judgements about the merits of my advocacy and regularly reiterated the reasons why they though that I shouldn't proceed with pressing charges.

"I do not celebrate the misfortune of others. However, these officers were disgraced by their conduct not by the DPP."

The Twitter post then showed a screenshot of an article in which 13 police officers involved in the investigation claimed their careers had been "lost and reputations severely damaged" after Mr Drumgold made false claims of impropriety to the Sofronoff Inquiry.

In his report, Mr Sofronoff conceded the police made a mistake in handing over the counselling notes to the defence and the prosecution but said it was not done intentionally.

Ms Higgins did not publish the statement herself after she recently deleted her Twitter account following legal action launched against her by Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds.

The Liberal Senator launched a lawsuit last week for aggravated damages over an Instagram story posted in July and a follow-up Tweet.

Ms Higgins claimed on Instagram Senator Reynolds "continues to harass me through the media", before urging her former boss to "stop".

The writ filed in the Western Australian Supreme Court also shows Senator Reynolds is claiming Ms Higgins' social media activity represent a breach of a March 2021 deed settlement which included a non-disparagement clause.

She is seeking two injunctions which would prohibit Ms Higgins from further publishing defamatory material and from future breaches of the deed.

Ms Higgins took to Twitter on July 6 to claim Senator Reynolds issued the concerns notice and said she was "considering my legal options".

She then deleted her account only days after hitting out at the continued release of her text message correspondence in late July.

Mr Drumgold, who resigned from the office on Sunday, conceded he made mistakes in the high-profile rape case.

But the former DPP disputed many of the report's adverse findings levelled at him, and denied that he "engaged in deliberate or underhanded conduct" in the trial.

The trial of Mr Lehrmann was delayed multiple times before commencing in October last year. After more than a week of deliberation the jury was dismissed over juror misconduct.

While the retrial was given a tentative date of February 20, 2023, Mr Drumgold decided against proceeding on the grounds of concern for Ms Higgins' mental health.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and has maintained he never had sexual relations with Ms Higgins.

https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/absolutely-awful-to-me-brittany-higgins-hits-out-at-police-in-response-to-damning-sofronoff-inquiry-findings/news-story/3e87ae0dfbd9a0a5ab926cb6c568c9e9

#19320737 at 2023-08-08 10:46:27 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
>>19314741
'Fair go for Shane Drumgold' case springs a giant leak

JANET ALBRECHTSEN - AUGUST 8, 2023

Shane Drumgold has claimed that the leak of the Sofronoff Report denied him procedural fairness.

The same notion has been echoed by other people who appear more concerned about a leak to a newspaper than the substance of a report that found that the chief prosecutor was guilty of serious misconduct in office.

So let's interrogate that argument to see if it holds water.

Drumgold called for this public inquiry. He was invited to participate in a public inquiry led by Walter Sofronoff KC.

Drumgold made a lengthy written 80-page submission to that inquiry.

He attached exhibits to his statement that numbered more than 200. In the interests of fairness and transparency, submissions by the various parties making allegations about other parties were circulated to other parties, including Drumgold.

In other words, the chief prosecutor had advance warning of the possible lines of questioning in the witness box.

Further submissions could be made to Sofronoff by any of the parties, including by Drumgold, at any time during this inquiry on matters the subject of this inquiry.

In May, Drumgold gave ?evidence over many days in the witness box.

He was represented by a very experienced silk, and former senior crown prosecutor, Mark Tedeschi. The barrister cross-examined many of the other witnesses who gave evidence during those public hearings. Oral submissions were made by Tedeschi defending his client throughout the inquiry.

In June, Drumgold was provided with a 10-page Notice of Proposed Adverse Findings putting him on notice of what Sofronoff may find given evidence revealed to the inquiry.

Drumgold responded, in more than 100 pages, with submissions to Sofronoff as to why those findings should not be made.

In order words, Drumgold received procedural fairness - in spades. Indeed, given the findings about Drumgold by Sofronoff, one could put it this way: more effort was put into ensuring this would be a fair inquiry than Drumgold, as the ACT chief prosecutor, put into ensuring a fair trial for Bruce Lehrmann. Drumgold should have known what was headed his way. All he needed was self-awareness.

He admitted to misconduct in the witness box. He said he made innocent mistakes.

In just about every instance, Sofronoff disagreed with that claim, finding, for example, that Drumgold deliberately misled the court.

Drumgold, along with sections of the media, and the ACT Labor government, can excite themselves all they wish about leaks to a newspaper. The Australian did not breach an embargo and will not reveal the source of the leak.

It's curious that those who have spent years defending Julian Assange for leaking stories that may have undermined national security are now hot and bothered about a leaked report that found a DPP who wields enormous state power against citizens behaved improperly.

A case of politics or sore losers? Maybe both.

Indeed, unless the government was proposing to suppress the report, in part or in whole, the government can't complain about the fact of publication, only about its timing.

The real story for the media and the ACT government - when they catch up - is the substance of the Sofronoff report. The former chief prosecutor was found to have deliberately misled a chief justice in order to withhold material from ?defence lawyers - material that should have been disclosed so that lawyers could properly defend a young man potentially facing jail.

At every stage, Drumgold was provided with procedural fairness. By the truckload.

In his final report, Sofronoff attached copies of the potential adverse findings relevant to each party so that we, the people - including the media - can compare the potential adverse findings with the findings in the final report. In other words, we can decide whether Sofronoff's report is fair on Drumgold, and other parties.

When kvetching about leaks comes to an end, when responsible media outlets turn their attention to that fair process and those findings, they will discover that the Sofronoff Report is solid, and its ramifications for the criminal justice system very serious indeed.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/fair-go-for-shane-drumgold-case-springs-a-giant-leak/news-story/e6097590b08e92c1306f27df88e9f3ab

#19314830 at 2023-08-07 12:08:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
Drumgold and Sofronoff face investigation in Lehrmann inquiry fallout

Angus Thompson and Natassia Chrysanthos - August 7, 2023

1/2

ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold, SC, and Walter Sofronoff, KC, the former judge who led the high-profile inquiry into authorities' handling of the Lehrmann trial, face investigations that could lead to them both having charges brought against them.

In their interim response to the inquiry's 839-page report on the "case like no other", ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury foreshadowed further investigations into Drumgold, who was heavily criticised in the findings, and Sofronoff, who leaked them to select journalists.

"This should have drawn a line under this matter," Barr said of the report at a press conference on Monday.

While Sofronoff found the prosecution was properly brought, he said Drumgold had lied to the ACT Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial, improperly questioned former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds on the stand, and made "scandalous" claims about police conduct.

Rattenbury said the ACT Bar Association would consider Drumgold's future as a barrister and noted the findings had met the statutory threshold for dismissal for misbehaviour in office.

Asked whether Drumgold, who resigned on Friday, should be prosecuted, Rattenbury replied: "That is a matter the government is still considering."

Barr said revelations that Sofronoff had released his findings to two media outlets under embargo and had spoken to journalists during the probe raised the prospect of a potential referral to the ACT's integrity commission, but ruled out another inquiry.

"I think that runs the risk of being quite ridiculous," he said.

He said the government had sought advice about whether Sofronoff had breached the Inquiries Act and, asked whether he would like to see him charged, the chief minister responded: "We're considering our options."

"Unfortunately, whilst the recommendations, I believe, are sound, and we have accepted them, the whole process - the leaking, the engagement with journalists on the way through, leaves in the minds of many people, questions. Significant questions. And it is just so disappointing," Barr said.

Comment has been sought from Drumgold, who on Sunday disputed many of the findings against him, denying that he had acted in a dishonest or underhanded way.

"Although I accept my conduct was less than perfect, my decisions were all made in good faith, under intense and sometimes crippling pressure, conducted within increasingly unmanageable workloads," he said in a statement.

Sofronoff declined to comment.

Bruce Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins, his former colleague, in the Parliament House office of their then-boss, former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds, after a night out drinking with friends in March 2019.

The trial was aborted in October due to juror misconduct and a retrial was abandoned due to concerns over Higgins' mental health, with the charge dropped. Lehrmann maintains his innocence and is preparing to sue the ACT government over the prosecution.

Sofronoff found that Drumgold's suspicions about police were baseless and had caused lasting pain to many.

"The adverse suspicions that Mr Drumgold formed during his early interactions with the investigators predisposed him to see non-existent malignancy in benign interactions between the police and the defence at the trial," he said in the report.

"The cost of a six-month public inquiry - in time and money, in lost work and personal and professional consequences - has been huge."

(continued)

#19314741 at 2023-08-07 11:33:41 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
>>19308125
ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold hits back against inquiry after resignation

Angus Thompson - August 6, 2023

1/2

ACT top prosecutor Shane Drumgold has accused the head of the inquiry into the Bruce Lehrmann rape case of denying him procedural fairness, and has disputed many of the probe's findings after resigning from his high-profile role last week.

In a written statement on Sunday, Drumgold denied acting dishonestly or underhandedly after inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff, KC, found he had lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial, and said the inquiry had missed the opportunity to focus on systemic issues in the justice system instead of focusing largely on him.

"Although I accept my conduct was less than perfect, my decisions were all made in good faith, under intense and sometimes crippling pressure, conducted within increasingly unmanageable workloads," Drumgold said.

"The pre-emptive release of the report to the media has denied me procedural fairness. It has deprived the ACT Government of the opportunity of considering my conduct objectively."

Sofronoff's findings were published by The Australian on Thursday. An ACT government spokesperson rebuked Sofronoff, saying he had told the government he had given embargoed copies of the report to some journalists ahead of him providing it to the territory last Monday.

Sofronoff found Drumgold, a senior counsel who has been the territory's director of public prosecutions for nearly five years, had lied to the Supreme Court in the lead-up to the trial and improperly questioned former Coalition minister Linda Reynolds on the stand, among other findings.

Drumgold said: "Having now read the report, I dispute many of its adverse findings about me. While I acknowledge I made mistakes, I strongly dispute that I engaged in deliberate or underhanded conduct in the trial or that I was dishonest."

The territory's attorney-general, Shane Rattenbury, said in a statement on Sunday that he had spoken with Drumgold on Thursday. The government has been forced to expedite the release of the report to this week following the leak, after it had originally planned to table it in parliament at the end of the month.

"Mr Drumgold and I agreed that his position as director of public prosecutions was no longer tenable," Rattenbury said. "I can confirm that on Friday, Mr Drumgold sent a letter advising me that he would be vacating his position as ACT director of public prosecutions."

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting former colleague Brittany Higgins in the Parliament House office of their then boss, Reynolds, after a night out drinking with friends in March 2019.

The trial was aborted in October due to juror misconduct, and Drumgold ruled out the prospect of a retrial in December due to concerns over Higgins' mental health.

Lehrmann maintains his innocence, and now plans to sue the ACT government over its handling of his prosecution.

(continued)

#19308125 at 2023-08-06 10:28:31 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
DPP Shane Drumgold resigns in wake of misconduct findings

STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 6, 2023

ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold has resigned in the wake of the damning findings of the Sofronoff Inquiry and is expected to retire.

On Sunday ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury confirmed that he had spoken to Mr Drumgold last Thursday and "in light of the commentary in the report" the pair had "agreed that his position as Director of Public Prosecutions was no longer tenable".

"On Friday, Mr Drumgold sent a letter advising me that he would be vacating his position as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions," Mr Rattenbury said.

"I can also confirm Mr Drumgold has been provided a full copy of the Board of Inquiry Report."

The Sofronoff Inquiry found Mr Drumgold knowingly lied to the Supreme Court, engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct, "preyed on a junior lawyer's inexperience", betrayed that junior lawyer who trusted him, and treated criminal litigation as "a poker game in which a prosecutor can hide the cards".

In the report, Mr Sofronoff found that Mr Drumgold had lost objectivity during the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins and "did not act with fairness and detachment as was required by his role".

Those findings were considered by legal experts as certain to end Mr Drumgold's career as DPP and may lead to criminal prosecution against him for perverting the course of justice.

Inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless.

The ACT government had earlier said it would not release the report until the end of August but back-flipped last week following publication of the findings in The Australian.

Mr Rattenbury said on Sunday the government would make a detailed statement in response to the Sofronoff Report early in the coming week.

The government is under growing pressure to conduct an inquiry into previous criminal cases prosecuted by Mr Drumgold.

Mr Drumgold has been contacted for comment.

More to come.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/dpp-shane-drumgold-to-resign-in-wake-of-misconduct-findings/news-story/01171c1c5ba23c95b80ec2efb0d2fa59

#19289887 at 2023-08-03 11:25:44 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19132091 (pb)
>>19132103 (pb)
>>19289705
Linda Reynolds sues Brittany Higgins for defamation over Instagram post

Jesinta Burton - August 3, 2023

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has made good on her threat to sue Brittany Higgins for defamation for a social media post accusing her of harassment, issuing a writ against her former staffer in the West Australian Supreme Court.

According to the writ lodged on Monday, Reynolds is suing Higgins for aggravated damages over an Instagram story on July 4 and a Twitter post on July 20, both of which she claimed were defamatory of her.

The former defence minister is also claiming the posts constituted a breach of a deed of settlement and release the pair signed back in March 2021, which contained a non-disparagement clause.

Reynolds is demanding two injunctions preventing Higgins from publishing defamatory material about her and preventing her from further breaches of the deed.

The news comes just weeks after Higgins took to social media accusing her former boss of harassment and confirming she had received a legal letter from Reynolds' lawyers.

On Thursday, Reynolds confirmed she had launched defamation proceedings after sending a concerns notice and receiving a "wholly unsatisfactory response" from Higgins' lawyers.

"Ms Higgins continues to use the media to make defamatory comments about my conduct notwithstanding the existence of facts and evidence to the contrary and without regard to a non-disparagement clause she agreed to," Reynolds said.

She said the concerns noticed issued on July 5 requested Higgins refrain from defaming the senator, "however her conduct following receipt of that notice ... and the unsatisfactory response received from her lawyer is evidence that she has no intention of stopping".

A spokesperson for Arnold Bloch Leibler confirmed Higgins had retained the law firm's services and intended to defend the claim vigorously.

In 2021, Higgins alleged she had been raped in Reynolds' parliamentary office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.

Lehrmann has repeatedly denied the allegation and a criminal trial was aborted late last year due to juror misconduct, with a retrial ruled out over fears about its potential impact on Higgins' mental health.

Reynolds is also locked in a defamation battle with Higgins' partner, David Sharaz, who she has accused of "trolling" her in tweets she claims were false and defamatory of her and caused her, her family and staff stress and anguish.

The lawsuit was later amended to include a further three social media posts from other platforms.

Reynolds is demanding the former press gallery journalist pay damages, as well as aggravated damages, over five social media posts. She also seeks an injunction preventing the material from surfacing again.

Last month Reynolds claimed she had been targeted with "unwarranted criticism and abuse".

"Despite [Higgins'] repeated defamation of my character, until now I have not taken any action against her personally - even though I considered her words to breach our previous settlement agreement," Reynolds said in a statement at the time.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/western-australia/wa-senator-linda-reynolds-sues-brittany-higgins-for-defamation-over-instagram-post-20230803-p5dtlc.html

#19289859 at 2023-08-03 11:15:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
Shane Drumgold's time as DPP is surely at an end

CHRIS MERRITT - AUGUST 3, 2023

1/2

Shane Drumgold is without a doubt the biggest loser in Walter Sofronoff's report on what went wrong during the Brittany Higgins rape trial. But he might not be alone.

The next biggest loser might turn out to be the ACT government - which was already on notice that the contents of this report would determine whether it would be hit with a damages bill worth millions of dollars.

That warning was issued last week by Bruce Lehrmann, the man who had been prosecuted in the now abandoned rape trial.

Lehrmann, who has denied any wrongdoing, said he would sue if Sofronoff found that Drumgold acted with malice or breached his duties either as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions or as an officer of the court.

Those conditions seem to based on the exceptions to the statutory immunity from liability that is granted to the DPP under section 33A of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act.

This provision means that if the DPP acted in good faith, he would be immune from liability for acts done or omitted in the performance of his duty.

Based on what has been reported in this newspaper by Janet Albrechtsen and Stephen Rice, there does not appear to be a finding of malice in Sofranoff's report.

So did Drumgold breach his duties as DPP and an officer of the court?

The Australian's report says Sofronoff found that Drumgold engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct, had failed to disclose information to Lehrmann's lawyers that might have helped his defence, had preyed on a junior lawyer's inexperience and had betrayed that junior lawyer's trust.

Because the Sofronoff report has not been officially released by the ACT government, there are limits on what can be said about the consequences of its findings without running into the law of defamation.

But what can be said is that the ACT government needs to abandon its original strategy of keeping this report secret until the end of the month while it considered whether to redact any passages that had legal implications.

That would have placed Lehrmann at a disadvantage. His litigation threat would have been placed on hold while the government would have been free to prepare a response at its leisure.

There was also a risk, implicit in the government's explanation, that the suppression of key parts of the report might have continued beyond this month.

In explaining his position, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he intended to table all or part of the report during August - subject to any legal implications.

Whoever leaked the full report to Albrechtsen and Rice acted in the public interest.

This person deprived the government of the ability to decide what the community should be told about the problems that afflicted the Lehrmann prosecution.

The most important issues are, by definition, those with legal implications and that seems to be exactly what the ACT government was considering keeping to itself.

The material that has been made public in The Australian is incredibly significant. It seems likely that Drumgold will lose his job.

(continued)

#19289813 at 2023-08-03 11:02:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289705
Lisa Wilkinson, Shane Drumgold and the Logies speech lie

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 3, 2023

TV host Lisa Wilkinson's now-infamous Logies speech has come back to bite ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, after he was caught lying about it to a Supreme Court judge.

In his damning report into the ACT justice system, Board of Inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC made serious adverse findings against Mr Drumgold over his use of a supposedly contemporaneous note made of a discussion he held with Wilkinson four days before her televised address.

Mr Drumgold said he warned the star - who first aired Brittany Higgins' rape allegations on Ten's The Project in 2021 - about the danger of prejudicing Bruce Lehrmann's upcoming rape trial before she gave the speech accepting a Logie award for her reporting.

Wilkinson rejected that, saying Mr Drumgold "did not at any time" give her the warning he claimed.

Mr Drumgold presented a note of the conference to Chief Justice McCallum as if it had been written contemporaneously by a junior lawyer present at the meeting. It hadn't.

That part of the note that was critical to the Chief Justice was effectively written by Mr Drumgold days later after Wilkinson gave her speech - and after it became clear the upcoming trial was in jeopardy because of it.

Mr Sofronoff found that Mr Drumgold "knowingly lied to the Chief Justice".

"For the Chief Justice's purposes, the note was not contemporaneous. (The junior DPP staffer) had not made the note. Mr Drumgold's statements to the Chief Justice were false. The note was nothing more than a copy of an email which Mr Drumgold had written five days after the meeting and which purported only to record his 'best recollection'."

Mr Sofronoff dismissed a claim by Mr Drumgold's counsel that those untruthful statements were just a mistake.

"I reject that a prudent and experienced barrister would behave in that way or make a mistake of this calibre," Mr Sofronoff said. "This is a wholly untenable excuse for a barrister of the seniority and experience of Mr Drumgold.

"He could not have forgotten that the material words in the note were words that he had written himself (choosing to do so in the third person) on the day before."

Mr Drumgold had "ample opportunity to correct his untruths at many points" but did not do so.

"He must have known that (Chief Justice) McCallum had found, as a matter of fact, that Ms Wilkinson had engaged in wilful defiance of his 'appropriate' warning and that her finding was based entirely on the proofing note.

"I do not accept that Mr Drumgold's misstatements about the ?nature of the note were a mere mistake that he made."

Mr Sofronoff said it was true that Wilkinson was a very experienced broadcaster who should have appreciated the likely effect of her intended words, but Mr Drumgold's duty of care was not to her but to the court, "to do what is required to preserve the integrity of the administration of criminal justice".

"Instead, he did nothing and thereby left alive a threat to the trial. A postponement might have endangered Ms Higgins' health, which Mr Drumgold knew was fragile. It imperilled Mr Lehrmann's right to the presumption of innocence. It left Ms Wilkinson under the false impression that she was at liberty to give the speech."

Mr Sofronoff agreed with Mr Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow's submission that after the Logies speech, an application for a temporary stay of the imminent trial "should be brought by the Director, not opposed by the Director".

It was, however, no surprise that the DPP opposed the stay. After all, Mr Sofronoff found that while Wilkinson had been wrongly accused in court of causing the stay, in fact "a successful application for a stay had resulted from (Mr Drumgold's) failure to warn" Wilkinson.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/lisa-wilkinson-shane-drumgold-and-the-logies-speech-lie/news-story/7f7e1035bb0b450ea0eca60bf2b079c6

#19289746 at 2023-08-03 10:47:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19289741

8/8

Conduct of police

The police who conducted the investigation into Brittany Higgins' rape claims were largely exonerated by Mr Sofronoff, who found that no officers had breached a duty or acted improperly.

"The evidence before me showed that the investigators consistently acted in good faith and conducted a thorough investigation ... Nobody suggested to me that the investigation was flawed in any way.

"On the contrary, the course of evidence demonstrated to me that the investigators and their immediate superior officers performed their duties in absolute good faith, with great determination although faced with obstacles and put together a sound case."

The police had made mistakes, Mr Sofronoff said, including conducting a second interview with Ms Higgins that was not likely to produce anything useful and which caused her distress.

"None of these mistakes actually affected the substance of the investigation and none of them prejudiced the case."

There was also a lack of understanding by police about the discretion to lay a charge which Mr Sofronoff found concerning. "That was not the fault of individual officers but of the AFP in its failure to have a clear policy", he said.

Mr Sofronoff also examined statements by police first revealed in The Australian that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Lehrmann but that they could not stop Mr Drumgold from proceeding because "there is too much political interference".

Mr Sofronoff found that police were not alleging a deliberate attempt by any person to interfere but referring to "the environment that we were in at the time" and the collective pressure that they were feeling.

It was this reference, discovered by Mr Drumgold, which fuelled the DPP's suspicions that police were deliberately undermining the prosecution, a belief Mr Drumgold later conceded was wrong.

Conduct of Victims of Crime Commissioner

Mr Sofronoff likewise made no findings against Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates who, he said, was subjected to a degree of unjustified public criticism because of a general lack of understanding about what the law required her to do.

During the trial, Ms Yates attended court with Ms Higgins and her attendance was noted by the media.

"The conspicuous presence at the side of a rape complainant of a public officer whose duty it is to support 'victims' of crime led many public commentators to question whether the Commissioner's actions were prone to prejudice the presumption of innocence to which Mr Lehrmann was entitled.

"Yet, one of the ways in which the Victims of Crime Act permits victims to be supported is by the attendance at court of a representative of the Commissioner's office, not excluding the Commissioner herself," Mr Sofronoff said

"It seems to me that, having regard to the way in which this matter unfolded, both in the conduct of the police and lawyers and the actions of media outlets, it was inevitable that the person assigned by the Victims of Crime Commissioner to aid Ms Higgins under the statute would become a fixture until, at least, the conclusion of the trial.

"The Commissioner's presence at Ms Higgins' (speech after the jury was discharged) was unfortunate because of the impression it made but it was due to no fault of her own. Her attention was upon her duty to Ms Higgins.

"I have found that a combination of circumstances which were not of her making put her into a spot which implied that she was endorsing a speech by Ms Higgins that was capable of impugning Mr Bruce Lehrmann's entitlement to a presumption of innocence.

"Her sole purpose at that time, consistently with her statutory duty as well as with human decency, was to ensure, so far as she could, the wellbeing of her client. It was natural and right for her to think and act this way."

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/sofronoff-report-reveals-shane-drumgold-lied-during-Bruce-Lehrmann-rape-case/news-story/07d25b9c79364a10473806e3df48dfa7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_pXsHLo4Pk

#19289705 at 2023-08-03 10:39:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19262626
>>19284047
Sofronoff report reveals Shane Drumgold lied during Bruce Lehrmann rape case

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 3, 2023

1/8

ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold knowingly lied to the Supreme Court, engaged in serious malpractice and grossly unethical conduct, "preyed on a junior lawyer's inexperience", ?betrayed that junior lawyer who trusted him, and treated criminal litigation as "a poker game in which a prosecutor can hide the cards," the Sofronoff Inquiry has found.

In findings that are certain to end Mr Drumgold's career as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions and may lead to criminal prosecution against him for perverting the course of justice, inquiry head Walter Sofronoff KC ruled that every one of the allegations made by Mr Drumgold that sparked the inquiry was baseless.

In the report, obtained by The Australian, Mr Sofronoff found that Mr Drumgold had lost objectivity during the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins and "did not act with fairness and detachment as was required by his role".

The ACT government received Mr Sofronoff's report on Monday but has refused to release the findings until the end of the month, as senior officials pore over the 600-page document.

Mr Sofronoff said he was "deeply disturbed" by Mr Drumgold's ignorance of ethical principles and accused him of a "Pilate-like detachment", invoking the moment Pontius Pilate washed his hands of Jesus's fate, letting the mob decide who should be ?crucified.

Among the astonishing catalogue of misconduct and dishonesty found by the inquiry against Mr Drumgold are:

- That he made representations to the Chief Justice Lucy McCallum in the proceedings against Mr Lehrmann that were "untrue" and "an invention of his own";

- That he was guilty of a "serious breach of duty" by failing to comply with the "golden rule" of disclosure that sits at the heart of a fair trial by failing to disclose documents where there was "simply no doubt" that those police investigation documents should have been disclosed;

- That the DPP failed to adopt the rule of thumb used by wise and experienced prosecutors - "if in doubt, disclose";

- That the DPP "kept the defence in the dark about the steps he was taking to deny them the documents that meant they were in no position to mount a challenge";

And that he "constructed a false narrative to support a claim of legal professional privilege".

"The result has been a public inquiry, which was not justified by any of his allegations, that has caused lasting pain to many people and which has demonstrated his allegations to be not just incorrect, but wholly false and without any rational basis," Mr Sofronoff concluded.

"The cost of a six-month public inquiry - in time and money, in lost work, and personal and professional consequences - has been huge," he said.

Even if Mr Drumgold had succeeded in dishonestly preventing Mr Lehrmann from obtaining ?material that could have helped his defence, any conviction would have been set aside on the ground of a miscarriage of justice, Mr ?Sofronoff concluded.

In one of many particularly pointed findings, he said he preferred the evidence of TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson and prosecutor Skye Jerome over Mr Drumgold.

"I do not believe any part of Mr Drumgold's purported recollection unless it is consistent with the recollection of those witnesses," he said.

Mr Sofronoff said he had considered whether he should invite Mr Drumgold to make a submission as to whether he was a fit and proper person to remain on the roll of barristers and to hold ?office as the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He said he accepted the submission of Mr Drumgold's counsel, Mark Tedeschi SC, that it was not within his terms of reference, and that, in any case, "it would not be right for me to do so".

However, several senior lawyers have told The Australian that if Mr Drumgold was found to have deliberately misled the court to prevent defence lawyers obtaining police documents, he may face an investigation for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The Office of the DPP will now also face a multimillion-dollar claim by Mr Lehrmann on the grounds of malfeasance, following Mr Sofronoff's findings of gross misconduct by Mr Drumgold.

(continued)

#19284078 at 2023-08-02 11:51:36 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19262626
>>19278237
Former judge Walter Sofronoff KC finds police were right to charge Bruce Lehrmann but lashed DPP's conduct

Samantha Maiden - August 2, 2023

1/2

EXCLUSIVE

A landmark inquiry into the trial of Bruce Lehrmann has found the prosecution was properly brought but made damning findings about the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold.

Sources who have been briefed on the contents of the report have told news.com.au that Walter Sofronoff KC, a former Supreme Court judge in Queensland, finds that police acted lawfully when they charged Mr Lehrmann.

It also finds that the decision of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to prosecute based on the evidence available was correct.

That finding is not a reflection on the guilt or innocence of the former Liberal staffer.

It is a finding on the conduct of the police and the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Lehrmann remains an innocent man under the law as he was never convicted before the trial collapsed following an allegation of juror misconduct.

He always maintained his innocence and told police nothing sexual occurred.

Sofronoff findings on police decision to charge

In his final report, Mr Sofronoff notes that no person before him said the prosecution should not properly have been brought.

The former judge states that he had reviewed the brief in its entirety and has found that the prosecution should have been brought.

During the ACT board of inquiry, chairman Walter Sofronoff reminded lawyers present he was not holding an inquiry into Bruce Lehrmann's guilt or innocence.

"I'm not interested in how the trial should have concluded. I am not interested in whether Mr Lehrmann is guilty or not guilty. I'm not interested in Miss Higgins," he said.

"However, I have to deal with the question of whether the charge should have been brought.

"Can I ask if anybody is going to be submitting at the end that I should conclude that Mr Drumgold ought not to have submitted an indictment?'' Mr Sofronoff asked during a hearing in May.

No barristers present said they planned to suggest that Mr Drumgold should not have presented an indictment.

"Nobody has suggested the contrary. And I don't read in the police evidence that any witness asserts to the contrary."

The Sofronoff inquiry was established by the ACT government in the wake of the abandoned prosecution of Mr Lehrmann. A single charge of sexual assault was dropped by the DPP late last year.

The Director of Public Prosecutions' barrister Mark Tedeschi SC also told the inquiry it was reasonable for the police to charge and the DPP to prosecute.

"It was a case that was overwhelmingly in need of charging,'' Mr Tedeschi told the inquiry.

In making these arguments, he was not making any reflection of the guilt or innocence of the man accused, who maintains his innocence.

Rather, Mr Tedeschi was arguing that the police response was in fact emblematic of a deeper problem in the Australian Federal Police at the time.

Mr Tedeschi said it was only because of the publicity that the DPP reviewed the case and expressed the view that there were grounds to charge.

In fact, it was Mr Tedeschi's submission to the inquiry that this was "to highlight to you, Chairman, how bizarre the police approach was.

"And that this was a classic example of it,'' he said.

Mr Tedeschi argued the ACT police were undercharging rape complaints and if it wasn't for the publicity Ms Higgins may have faced a similar fate.

"Had it not been for all the publicity, had it not been that the alleged offence occurred in Parliament House, this matter would have been dealt with like the other - I think it's 250-something matters that had been, in effect, just ignored by the police."

The Board of Inquiry report will examine what really went on behind the scenes of the nation's most high profile rape trial in Australian history and featured weeks of bombshell evidence from the DPP, police and the Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates.

It was handed to the ACT Government on Monday. The Barr Government has decided against the immediate release of the document, a decision that has been criticised.

(continued)

#19284047 at 2023-08-02 11:38:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19262626
>>19278237
ACT DPP Shane Drumgold 'at risk of charges' if he misled court

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 2, 2023

If ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold is found to have knowingly made false statements to the Supreme Court to prevent defence lawyers obtaining police documents, he may face an investi?gation for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

A number of senior lawyers have told The Australian that if Mr Drumgold is found by the Sofronoff inquiry to have deliberately misled ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial last year, it could lead to criminal ?charges against him.

During the inquiry conducted by Walter Sofronoff KC, Mr Drumgold admitted two occasions on which he misled Chief Justice McCallum but claimed he had done so unintentionally.

The ACT government is considering Mr Sofronoff's report, which it received on Monday, but has refused to release the findings until the end of the month.

It is believed some potential findings against Mr Drumgold, who has been on leave since May and is not due to return until Aug?ust 30, would be grounds for his dismissal as Director of Public Prosecutions and for removal from the roll of barristers.

They could also lead to his ?potential prosecution.

Melbourne silk Gavin Silbert KC told The Australian: "In a situation where a director of public prosecutions lies wilfully (and) misstates the truth to a judge, quite clearly that could constitute an ?attempt to pervert the course of justice."

"If the elements of it were made out, I don't see that there's any doubt that it would," said Mr Silbert, who was chief crown prosecutor for 10 years until 2018 and acted as director of public prosecutions on many occasions.

Mr Silbert, who has practised law for more than 40 years and is a member of the Victorian Bar Council, said: "I've done plenty of crime cases over the last 30 years to be experienced enough to have a view on this. In a situation where he arranged for a junior [legal] officer in his department to swear a false affidavit, again, it would clearly be an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

"If the elements are made out they would constitute offences."

Mr Drumgold tried to stop the defence obtaining a document known as the Moller report, which detailed police concerns over the reliability of Brittany Higgins's ?allegations of rape against Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold ordered a junior DPP lawyer to swear an affidavit saying the document had been inadvertently listed as not subject to privilege. That was not true, yet it was presented to Chief Justice McCallum. It was unintentional, Mr Drumgold told the inquiry.

He also presented to Chief Justice McCallum a note of a conference he had held with TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson, as if it had been written contemporaneously by the same junior lawyer present at the meeting. It had not.

It was effectively written by Mr Drumgold days later, after Wilkinson gave her speech.

At the inquiry, Mr Sofronoff questioned Mr Drumgold's concession that his submissions to the Chief Justice "could" have had the effect of misleading her.

"How could it not have had that effect, having regard to the appearance of the document, and the absence of anything that would suggest that part of it was made five days later?" he asked.

A finding by Mr Sofronoff that Mr Drumgold deliberately misled Chief Justice McCallum would be grounds for his dismissal as Director of Public Prosecutions and for his removal from the roll of ?barristers.

The case has drawn comparisons with that of Marcus Einfeld, the former Federal Court judge convicted of perverting the course of justice after falsely claiming that someone else had been driving a car for which he had received a $77 speeding ticket.

Mr Einfeld was expelled from the legal profession, stripped of being a QC and had to serve two years in prison

"If Marcus Einfeld went to jail for a dodgy stat dec over a speeding ticket, this is many, many, many times worse, particularly by someone who has an obligation of honesty towards the court, forgetting that he's even the DPP," Mr Silbert said.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has drawn fire over the decision to delay public release of the Sofronoff report, with former federal Coalition defence minister Linda Reynolds condemning the "inexplicable suppression" of Mr Sofronoff's findings.

Mr Barr said the government would be considering the report "through a proper cabinet process" that would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly scheduled to be updated at the end of August.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/act-dpp-shane-drumgold-at-risk-of-charges-if-he-misled-court/news-story/d7209e400550f05341965a0526d34062

#19278237 at 2023-08-01 10:44:55 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
>>19204809
Revenge of Bruce Lehrmann: ACT DPP on trial

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - AUGUST 1, 2023

Bruce Lehrmann will lodge a multimillion-dollar claim for compensation against the ACT Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as the territory government examines what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold.

Mr Lehrmann's explosive claim of malfeasance by the ODPP emerged on the same day the ACT government received the Sofronoff report into misconduct in the prosecution case against the former Liberal staffer.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has drawn fire over his decision to delay public release of the report, with former defence minister Linda Reynolds condemning the "inexplicable suppression" of Mr Sofronoff's findings.

On Friday Mr Barr said the government would consider the report "through a proper cabinet process" that would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly updated at the end of August. It is believed at least two of the potential findings against Mr Drumgold, who has been on leave since May and is not due to return until August 30, would be grounds for his dismissal as Director of Public Prosecutions and for removal from the roll of barristers.

On Monday afternoon, hours after Mr Sofronoff handed his report to Mr Barr, Mr Lehrmann told The Australian: "I will be guided by the report and call for its release as a matter of urgency.

"If it finds the director acted with malice or against his duties as DPP and as an officer of the court, I will be considering a multimillion claim for damages and compensation from the ODPP and the ACT government."

Mr Lehrmann said he had appointed solicitors and a team of barristers to provide advice and was considering options in anticipation of the report being made public. Mr Lehrmann is already suing the ABC, Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over news broadcasts relating to allegations he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in March 2019. He has always denied the allegations.

On the weekend, Mr Lehrmann responded angrily to the delay in releasing Mr Sofronoff's report, posting on social media: "Absolute disgrace! I remember someone saying that sunlight is the best disinfectant ... The Drumgold protection racket continues. The chief minister should hang his head in shame."

Earlier this year the federal government paid Ms Higgins compensation believed to be worth more than $2m after she claimed her allegations of rape were mishandled. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has refused to answer questions regarding the payout, which was provided without consultation with former senior Liberal ministers, including Senator Reynolds, who were at the centre of her claims.

On Monday Senator Reynolds criticised the delay in releasing Mr Sofronoff's report. "The ACT government's inexplicable suppression of the Sofronoff report for up to a month is deeply distressing for those whose lives and reputations have been negatively impacted by the conduct of this trial," she said.

Mr Barr said that, subject to the contents of the report, and any legal implications, he intended to table all, or part, of the report during the August parliamentary sitting and "may provide an interim response to some, or all, of the recommendations" at that time.

The most serious allegations of misconduct against Mr Drumgold involve episodes where he misled Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of the proceedings against Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold has already admitted two breaches but claimed they were unintentional.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/revenge-of-Bruce-Lehrmann-act-dpp-on-trial/news-story/e8fcd8d616beea893589ca1b42ad16c9

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12350705/Bruce-Lehrmann-responds-revelation-ACT-government-findings-Sofronoff-inquiry-prosecution-DPP-director-Shane-Drumgold.html

https://www.instagram.com/Bruceel95/

#19278214 at 2023-08-01 10:28:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
>>19204809
'No excuse' for report on Lehrmann rape case to be secret

STEPHEN RICE - JULY 31, 2023

The dispiriting mess of the Brittany Higgins-Bruce Lehrmann saga has bred hundreds of conspiracy theories, almost all of them based on ?ignorance and absence of facts.

Now, just when we were about to get the first independent, cool-headed look at what went wrong in the prosecution of the case, the ACT government has decreed that the findings of inquiry chair Walter Sofronoff KC - to be ?delivered on Monday - will be kept secret for at least another month.

The territory government has a reputation for own goals, but for sheer contempt of its own constituents, this one takes the trophy.

There is no excuse for such a delay; not that Chief Minister ?Andrew Barr has bothered to offer one.

Barr says he "currently intends" to table some or all of the report at the end of August, at which time he "may" provide an interim response, pending a final response that "may take several months".

Perhaps the government hopes the public interest in this matter will fade over time.

Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC demanded this inquiry after alleging political interference by Liberal MPs and police sabotage of his prosecution. He can't complain now that it has not gone the way he wanted.

The ACT's Labor-Greens coalition government happily commissioned the inquiry, no doubt anticipating some political scalps. It can't bury the report now that it has not gone the way it expected.

The inquiry's terms of reference were already so limited that Sofronoff had to ask that they be widened to ?include Drumgold's conduct in the preparation of the proceedings and in the hearings.

The reasons for that are now obvious.

There are a number of potential adverse findings against Drumgold. Depending on what, if any, such findings are made against him, it could result in his instant dismissal.

The government set Sofronoff a gruelingly tight deadline to ?establish the facts, but has given itself a free pass to mull over the spin. When did this cabal plan to ?announce that the report wasn't going to see the light of day for at least a month?

If The Australian hadn't picked up a whiff of panic from the government and requested details of the release - the response to which arrived at 5.22pm on Friday; a time-honoured technique known as "putting out the trash" - we might still be none the wiser.

There is no evidence that ?Sofronoff has asked that the ?release of his report be delayed.

If there are parts of the report the commissioner thinks should be kept confidential, there is no reason to suppose he hasn't made provision for that.

When Sofronoff handed down his report last year into Queensland's failed forensic DNA testing, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk immediately released the findings and within 48 hours had accepted all 123 recommendations and ?announced $95m in funding to fix the problems.

Many lives have been damaged by the Lehrmann-Higgins case, and more pain has been inflicted thanks to an inquiry demanded by Drumgold, only for him to admit that his claims about political interference and police conspiring against him were wholly misconceived.

Lehrmann and Higgins are both entitled to know what ?Sofronoff has found about the way they were treated by police and prosecutors without it being parsed through "a proper cabinet process".

Just as importantly, the criminal justice system in the ACT is in disarray.

Trust between ACT Policing and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions evaporated during the Lehrmann investigation, with morale at an all-time low and cases stagnating.

Both sides are waiting warily to see what comes of the inquiry.

Sofronoff's report could well be the circuit-breaker needed to restore a viable working relationship between the two agencies. Another month, or more, of speculation and turmoil will only add to the hostility already rampant.

If there are rules to be changed, laws to be fixed, that is a debate we should be having in public.

The government needs to take a leaf out of Sofronoff's book: just get on with the job and do it openly and transparently.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/no-excuse-for-report-on-Lehrmann-rape-case-to-be-secret/news-story/e752afccaad65106592c628a27126b01

#19262626 at 2023-07-29 16:06:52 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
>>19204809
Sofronoff findings on DPP Shane Drumgold to be kept secret for weeks

STEPHEN RICE - JULY 29, 2023

1/2

In a shock move, the ACT government will keep secret the findings of the Sofronoff inquiry into the prosecution for rape of Bruce Lehrmann for at least a month as it ponders how to deal with what are expected to be serious adverse findings against chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold.

It had been anticipated that when inquiry head Walter Sof?ronoff KC delivered his much-?anticipated report on Monday, it would be released immediately but the government will now consider the report "through a proper cabinet" process that ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said would take three to four weeks, with the Legislative Assembly "updated" at the end of ?August.

It is believed at least two of the potential findings against Mr Drumgold, who has been on leave since May and is not due to return until August 30, would be grounds for his dismissal as ACT Director of Public Prosecutions.

In a statement released to The Weekend Australian, Mr Barr said that subject to the contents of the report, and any legal implications, he intended to table all, or part, of the report during the August parliamentary sitting and "may provide an interim response to some, or all, of the recommendations" at that time.

"Subject to the recommendations, a final government response may take several months," he said.

The most serious allegations of misconduct against Mr Drumgold involve episodes where he misled Chief Justice Lucy McCallum during the course of the proceedings against Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Drumgold has already admitted two breaches but claimed they were unintentional.

If Mr Sofronoff finds his actions were designed to deliberately mislead the court, his position as DPP will be untenable.

Even without findings of serious misconduct against him, legal observers say it is difficult to see how the ACT criminal justice system can function effectively with Mr Drumgold at the helm.

The relationship between Mr Drumgold and ACT Policing, already poisoned during the Lehrmann prosecution, has been further damaged by claims and counter-claims in the inquiry.

Mr Sofronoff is likely to find Mr Drumgold was entitled to bring the prosecution against Mr Lehrmann - none of the parties to the case, including the police, has disputed that - but both the DPP and some senior police may be found to have lost objectivity at various points in the case.

Mr Drumgold conceded at the inquiry that he had formed a view Mr Lehrmann should be charged before he had been interviewed.

The AFP and some senior officers are also likely to come in for trenchant criticism from Mr Sof?ronoff over the handling of ?aspects of the case but none is expected to lose their job.

Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates may be the subject of some criticism over claims her constant presence at Brittany Higgins's side during the trial was effectively a declaration that the young woman was a victim of crime and that Mr Lehrmann must therefore be guilty.

However, the police walked back much of their earlier criticism of Ms Yates during the inquiry and Mr Sofronoff may look towards recommendations such as a suggestion he raised during the hearings that her title be changed to "complainants of crime commissioner" to avoid any inference of guilt.

Possibly the most serious allegation against Mr Drumgold relates to a so-called contem?por?aneous note made of the now-infamous conference he held with TV personality Lisa Wilkinson four days before her Logies speech.

He says he warned the then-The Project host about the danger of prejudicing Mr Lehrmann's upcoming rape trial. Wilkinson rejects that, saying Mr Drumgold "did not at any time" give her the warning he claimed.

Mr Sofronoff may take the view that while the experienced journalist should have known better, Mr Drumgold could have been more proactive in warning that the speech would risk delaying the trial by several months - which is what then occurred.

Far more dangerous for Mr Drumgold is the note of the conference with Wilkinson, which the DPP presented to Chief Justice McCallum as if it had been written contemporaneously by a junior lawyer present at the meeting. It hadn't. It was effectively written by Mr Drum?gold days later after Wilkinson gave her speech.

At the inquiry, Mr Sofronoff questioned Mr Drumgold's concession that his submissions to the Chief Justice "could" have had the effect of misleading her. "It must have had the effect of causing Her Honour to think that the note was a contemporary note of the conference," Mr Sofronoff said.

(continued)

#19257140 at 2023-07-28 15:50:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
>>19204809
Who will take the fall for the Lehrmann controversy?

CHRIS MERRITT - JULY 27, 2023

1/2

There is really only one issue to look for next week when Walter Sofronoff gives the government of the ACT the report of his inquiry into the disastrous Brittany Higgins rape trial.

Will anyone take the fall for the now abandoned rape prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann?

Will blame be divided among the individuals who were targeted by the ACT government in the terms of reference it drew up for Sofronoff's inquiry?

Or will Sofronoff take a broader approach, one that would enable him to consider the impact of legal structures that have been put in place by the government itself?

Before the collapse of this prosecution, some of those structures might have seemed unremarkable - or even beneficial.

But if the ACT is to avoid a repeat of this affair, policymakers might need to reassess the system they created.

Would it be useful, for example, to draw a distinction between those people who merely believe they are victims of criminal conduct, and those whose accusations have been tested and proven in court?

Some might dismiss this as nitpicking. But ignoring this distinction can erode the presumption of innocence, prejudice potential jurors and lead to bizarre outcomes.

Why, for example, did the ACT government leave the way open for Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates to accompany Brittany Higgins during media appearances when she was a complainant, but not a proven victim of crime?

What sort of signal does that send to potential jurors?

It might also be time to take another look at the future role of the Director of Public Prosecutions and whether it needs to focus exclusively on the core business of prosecuting.

One of the benefits of having an independent DPP is that it distances prosecutors from other arms of the state including the government which, by definition, is subject to political influence.

Yet in his submission to Sofronoff, DPP Shane Drumgold had this to say: "The current VCC, Ms Heidi Yates, and I are both executives in the ACT government and, as such, we both attend the joint executive committee regularly."

Sofronoff has all the authority he needs in order to look beyond the conduct of individuals and identify systemic problems that might have contributed to the collapse of this prosecution.

The preamble to his terms of reference says the government is concerned to ensure that the framework for criminal prosecutions is robust, fair and respects the rights of those involved.

None of those qualities was apparent in the Lehrmann case.

It is unrealistic to expect Chief Justice Lucy McCallum to overcome structural unfairness caused by others of which she was unaware.

Drumgold, who is now on extended leave, conceded during the inquiry that he had misled the Chief Justice, albeit inadvertently.

That incident alone makes it difficult to imagine he could ever return to work.

It concerned a file note that was incorrectly described to the judge as a contemporaneous record of his discussion with television journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

A critical part of that note was not contemporaneous. It was not written immediately after his discussion with Wilkinson. It was an addendum written by Drumgold after Wilkinson's speech at a Logies ceremony caused a furore that delayed the criminal trial.

(continued)

#19211199 at 2023-07-20 11:01:18 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
>>19204809
'Prefer to silence victims': Brittany Higgins blasts Linda Reynolds

STEPHEN RICE - JULY 20, 2023

Brittany Higgins has blasted former defence minister Linda Reynolds for suggesting it should be illegal for anyone who believes a crime has been committed to fail to report it to police, saying "instead of solving the problem, there are people who would prefer to just silence victims".

In an increasingly bitter public stoush between the two women, Ms Higgins has claimed that the proposal by Senator Reynolds "completely undermines all the crucial work done by the #LetHerSpeak campaign and the #March4Justice movement."

In a submission to the Sofronoff Inquiry, revealed by The Australian on Wednesday, Senator Reynolds argued that the ACT Crimes Act should be amended to deter individuals from using the media and/or Parliamentary forums in relation to an alleged criminal offence that ought properly be the subject of the criminal justice processes.

Senator Reynolds pointed to a section of the NSW Crimes Act that makes it an offence for anyone who knows or believes that a serious indictable offence has been committed and fails to report it to police.

On Thursday Ms Higgins, while not directly naming Senator Reynolds, posted an extract from the article on Twitter.

"Imagine being the person earnestly attempting to change the Crimes Act to make it illegal for alleged sexual assault survivors to talk about their lived experience? As opposed to, you know, reforming the justice system to actually prosecuting perpetrators," Ms Higgins wrote.

The former political staffer has recently been in Geneva, Switzerland, where she interned at the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Ms Higgins alleges she was sexually assaulted by fellow Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann in Senator Reynolds parliamentary office in March 2019 - a claim he has vehemently denied.

Ms Higgins' rebuke comes just two weeks after she claimed the Liberal MP "continues to harass me through the media and in the parliament".

Ms Higgins posted on social media a series of newspaper headlines that she claimed originated "from a current Australian Senator who continues to harass me through the media and in the parliament".

"This has been going on for years now. It is time to stop," Ms Higgins said.

"My boss who has publicly apologised for mishandling my rape allegation. Who has had to publicly apologise after defaming me in the workplace. Who had a whole bunch of questionable conduct during my rape trial. Who is suing my fiance for a tweet."

Senator Reynolds' lawyers sent Ms Higgins a concerns notice - which is a -precursor to a defamation lawsuit - threatening legal action over the post.

Ms Higgins responded that she was "considering my legal options".

Senator Reynolds is already suing Ms Higgins' fiance, David Sharaz, for defamation over two tweets that he posted last year but had not been able to serve him with a summons.

Earlier this month she was granted permission by the court to allow service of the summons to be effected by email to Mr Sharaz's personal email accounts, as well as to Ms Higgins' lawyer.

Senator Reynolds has indicated she will refer Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to the new National Anti-Corruption Commission over the payment of more than $2.5m in compensation to her former staffer following Ms Higgins' claims her allegations of rape were mishandled.

"The basis for the settlement and the reasons why the Attorney-General barred me and Senator (Michaelia) Cash from defending serious allegations against us have not been explained to us or to the Australian people," she said.

Mr Dreyfus has consistently refused to answer questions regarding Ms Higgins' multi?million-dollar payout, which was provided without the consultation of former senior Liberal ministers who were at the centre of her claims.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/prefer-to-silence-victims-brittany-higgins-blasts-linda-reynolds/news-story/2edbb81946c9e0a3106cb6b99b282ba5

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1681842657688190976

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1681842661874077697

#19204809 at 2023-07-19 10:21:47 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19194509
'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Linda Reynolds blasts DPP Shane Drumgold over Brittany Higgins case

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - JULY 19, 2023

1/2

Former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has launched a blistering attack on ACT chief prosecutor Shane Drumgold, accusing him of making "baseless and unsubstantiated allegations" that she was motivated by political forces to suppress Brittany Higgins' rape complaint.

In a submission to the Sofronoff inquiry obtained by The Australian Senator Reynolds asks chairman Walter Sofronoff KC to find that Mr Drumgold "was recklessly indifferent to the truth of this mistaken belief, and was otherwise prepared to assert a position that had no evidentiary basis despite being an officer of the Court with ethical and prosecutorial duties that attach."

Senator Reynolds alleges multiple breaches by Mr Drumgold of the Barristers Rules, the Legal Profession Act, the Director of Public Prosecutions Policy, the Freedom of Information Act and the Human Rights Act over the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

The allegation that she had tried to pervert the course of justice would have remained unchallenged, she submitted, but for the intervention of Mr Sofronoff, who elicited from Mr Drumgold the startling admission during the inquiry that he no longer believed his own claims.

"The evidence of the DPP at the Inquiry demonstrated that there was no basis to make such a serious allegation during the trial or at any time before or after the trial. It was a baseless and unsubstantiated allegation made irresponsibly and has damaged the reputation of Senator Reynolds irreparably," her submission states.

The Liberal MP reveals her shock at being declared a hostile (or "unfavourable") witness in the trial by the DPP who, without warning, suddenly cross-examined her on her credibility.

That included questioning about the presence of her husband, Robert Reid, sitting in the courtroom, even though no one had suggested there was anything wrong with this, including the DPP, who had met and was aware that Mr Reid was her partner. An ODPP solicitor had even approached Mr Reid in the court to ask if Senator Reynolds could appear sooner than previously scheduled.

Senator Reynolds was also cross examined over a text message she sent to Bruce Lehrmann's defence counsel, Steve Whybrow, requesting a transcript of the trial. She said she had not been aware this was not permitted.

She says Mr Drumgold "ambushed" her in the trial and had given her no indication beforehand in discussions that he intended to do this, even though he was already well aware that Ms Higgins' was claiming political interference to suppress her complaint.

"I was shocked and frustrated at this approach as it appeared the DPP was seeking to undermine my credibility (and that of Senator Cash) in an effort to re-assert the credibility of Ms Higgins and increase his prospect of securing a conviction. Alleging that a politician was motivated by 'political forces' was an easy line to run."

The DPP repeatedly asked questions which alleged Senator Reynolds was motivated by "political forces," she said, even though he was well aware from her statement that it was she who had suggested to Ms Higgins she should talk to the police and assured her the AFP had expertise in handling sensitive personal matters.

In his summing up Mr Drumgold told the jury that "it is abundantly clear from the evidence and actions of Senator Reynolds during this trial that those political forces were still a factor."

(continued)

#19194509 at 2023-07-17 10:29:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

>>19058165 (pb)
Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann parliament CCTV footage handed to court

ELLIE DUDLEY - JULY 17, 2023

Critical CCTV footage of Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins in parliament house on the night of her alleged rape has been handed over to court, after a top silk in the defamation proceedings demanded to know why it wasn't produced earlier.

Seven Network delivered the footage to the federal court on Monday as part of the high-profile defamation action between Mr Lehrmann, Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, and a separate matter concerning Mr Lehrmann and the ABC.

Snippets of the CCTV video, showing Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins passing through parliament house security on the night of the alleged rape in 2019, were aired in the Seven Network's Spotlight program last month.

The raw tapes were subpoenaed from the Seven Network as the Department of Parliamentary Services failed to provide any footage of Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins in parliament house.

Defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC, acting for Lisa Wilkinson, earlier this month told the court that the fact the Department of Parliamentary Services said it had no CCTV footage to produce from the night of the alleged rape was concerning.

"We think there should be some explanation as to why that material hasn't been produced," she said at the time.

However, Network Ten barrister Tim Senior on Monday told the court he was satisfied the Department of Parliamentary Services had made every effort to comply with the subpoena, but were unable to produce the footage as it hadn't been "quarantined".

"Searches have been carried out to see whether that material was one of the server somewhere but apparently it's not," he said.

Mr Lehrmann, who has consistently denied the rape allegations, is suing Network 10 and Ms Wilkinson over an interview with Ms Higgins that aired on The Project in February 2021 detailing allegations Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in parliament house, but not naming Mr Lehrmann as the alleged attacker.

While the raw CCTV footage had been produced by the Seven Network, Mr Senior foreshadowed issues regarding whether or not the network had fully complied with the subpoena.

"There is another issue in relation to a subpoena that had been issued to Seven Network Operations," Mr Senior told the court on Monday.

"Your Honour might recall on the last occasion, there was some additional production in response to that subpoena.

"The subpoena called on raw footage relating to the Spotlight broadcast, so there have been two tranches of material produced.

"We are still reviewing the second tranche from the last occasion, so I wanted to raise it with Your Honour, just to flag that it may not be spent, but we are in the process of reviewing it to see whether we're satisfied that that material that's been has been complied with."

Mr Lehrmann is also suing the ABC over the broadcast of a ?National Press Club address given by Ms Higgins.

ABC journalist Laura Tingle and publisher Random House on Monday produced documents in relation to the defamation action.

Earlier this month the court heard Nine columnist Peter FitzSimons had been subpoenaed to produce documents relating to a book deal he helped secure for former ministerial staffer Brittany Higgins believed to be worth $325,000.

The matter will return for case management on August 28.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-Bruce-Lehrmann-parliament-cctv-footage-handed-to-court/news-story/4f390ec634f5bf94aa7b04bae14d2758

#19188888 at 2023-07-16 09:32:06 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 34
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 10
>>19120643 'Time to stop': Brittany Higgins lashes out against Linda Reynolds - Brittany Higgins has lashed out at her former boss, Linda Reynolds, after the Liberal MP said she would ask the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the commonwealth payment to her former staffer. On Tuesday Ms Higgins posted on social media a series of newspaper headlines that she claimed originate "from a current Australian Senator who continues to harass me through the media and in the Parliament .... This has been going on for years now. It is time to stop." Senator Reynolds has indicated she will refer Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus to the NACC over the payment of more than $2.5 million in compensation to her former staffer following Ms Higgins' claims her allegations of rape were mishandled.
>>19126430 Shane Drumgold extends leave from ACT top prosecutor role following Bruce Lehrmann inquiry - The ACT's top prosecutor has extended his leave for a second time in the wake of a bruising appearance at an inquiry into a high-profile trial. Shane Drumgold SC has been on leave since May after he faced days of questioning over his claims that he felt pressured not to charge former Coalition staffer Bruce Lehrmann over the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins. Mr Drumgold was due to return to work in mid-June, but his leave was extended to the end of June. In a short statement ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury confirmed Mr Drumgold had extended his leave again until August 30.
>>19132091 'I have had enough': Reynolds sends defamation notice to Higgins over Instagram post - Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has accused Brittany Higgins of repeatedly defaming her after sending a legal letter to her former staffer over a social media post this week in which Higgins accused Reynolds of using the media to harass her. On the same day Higgins' partner, David Sharaz, faced defamation action filed by Reynolds in a West Australian court, Higgins tweeted on Thursday that she had received a concerns notice from her former boss - for whom she worked as a ministerial adviser in 2019 - "threatening defamation over an Instagram story". Reynolds later said in a statement that her lawyers sent a concerns notice to Higgins the day before in a "private communication, which she has chosen to make public".
>>19132103 Brittany Higgins considers 'legal options' after being issued concerns notice from WA senator Linda Reynolds - Former Canberra political staffer Brittany Higgins says WA senator Linda Reynolds is threatening to sue her over an Instagram post. In a tweet today Ms Higgins said she had receive a "concerns notice" from Ms Reynolds. "I've just received a concerns notice from @lindareynoldswa threatening defamation over an Instagram story," the tweet reads. "I'm considering my legal options." Prominent defamation lawyer Martin Bennett, who acts for Ms Reynolds, confirmed to the ABC the notice had been sent yesterday to Ms Higgins's legal counsel and was related to an Instagram post.
>>19138736 Peter FitzSimons subpoenaed to produce documents relating to Brittany Higgins book deal - Nine columnist Peter FitzSimons has been subpoenaed to produce documents relating to a book deal he helped secure for former ministerial staffer Brittany Higgins believed to be worth $325,000. Attempts will also be made to subpoena ABC journalist Laura Tingle and publisher Random House for the production of documents in the defamation action brought by former parliament staffer Bruce Lehrmann against Network 10 and the ABC. Mr Lehrmann, who has consistently denied the allegations, is suing Network 10 and Wilkinson over an interview with Ms Higgins that aired on The Project in February 2021 detailing allegations of rape but not naming Mr Lehrmann as the alleged attacker. Mr Lehrmann is also suing the ABC over the broadcast of a ?National Press Club address given by Ms Higgins, and Justice Lee on Friday stood over a subpoena for Tingle, who hosted the club address on February 9 last year, to produce documents. The press club promoted sales of tickets to the address that ?referred to Ms Higgins' decision to "publicly allege she was raped by a colleague inside Parliament House".

#19188887 at 2023-07-16 09:31:48 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 33
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 9
>>19010942 Video: Katy Gallagher apologises to Linda Reynolds over 'hurt' amid Brittany Higgins saga - Katy Gallagher has apologised to fellow senator Linda Reynolds for any hurt she endured during the protracted attention around Brittany Higgins' alleging she was raped in her office in 2019. Claims which were dismissed by the ACT Supreme Court last year. "I'm sorry as Ms Reynolds is clearly upset about what happened to her," she said. Senator Gallagher's voice cracked and tears welled during day four of intense scrutiny from the coalition during Senate question time over her involvement and relationship with Ms Higgins and her partner David Sharaz. Senator Gallagher said she would have happily endured "this type of questioning" but was concerned for the toll the issue is having on women around the country.
>>19016452 Lisa Wilkinson's lawyers' furious letter to Sunrise over 'false' allegation - Lisa Wilkinson has lodged an official complaint with Channel 7, claiming a segment on its flagship morning program Sunrise aired "false" allegations against her. The former Project host's lawyers took issue with the claim Wilkinson had "coached" Brittany Higgins to build a campaign against the man she accused of sexually assaulting her, Bruce Lehrmann. "That allegation is false. The material (falsely described in the report as 'secret recordings') published on Spotlight on the Seven Network on 4 June 2023 certainly does not justify that allegation," the lawyers' letter said.
>>19037048 Menslink CEO Martin Fisk tipped off Heidi Yates about Brittany Higgins's rape claim - A Canberra charity boss who was nominated for a top Australian honour by David Sharaz and whose wife works for the Labor Party can be revealed as the mystery man who told Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates about Brittany Higgins's rape claim weeks before it became public. Former Menslink chief executive officer Martin Fisk, whose wife Sandra is the ACT Labor Party's operations manager, told Ms Yates in January 2021 that he was "working with a young woman who was about to make a sexual-assault disclosure" and that it "would likely attract national media attention". Mr Fisk's involvement reveals another puzzle piece as to "who knew what when", while his wife's strong links to the Labor Party, where she began working in 2012 while her Facebook friend ?Finance Minister Katy Gallagher was Territory chief minister, raise questions about the politicisation of Ms Higgins' allegation.
>>19044075 DPP Shane Drumgold wanted ACT Police mistake in Brittany Higgins matter publicly exposed - ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold has extended his leave as new documents reveal the depths of his frustration with police ?investigating Brittany Higgins' rape allegation. Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates's file notes, submitted to the inquiry, revealed Mr Drumgold wanted to publicly shame police for inadvertently providing Ms Higgins' counselling notes to Mr Lehrmann's lawyer. During a meeting on September 22, 2021, Mr Drumgold told Ms Yates that while he didn't want the jury at Mr Lehrmann's impending rape trial to suspect the detectives were incompetent, their mistake "needs to explode at some point".
>>19058136 Sharaz and Higgins: 'We'd become quite a twosome on game planning' - "Brittany Higgins' book appears to have been shelved. One look at the rough draft and it's not hard to understand why. There are sound reasons many people are troubled by what they see as Higgins's fixation on a political sex scandal - evidenced by texts, notes and in her draft book. Somewhere in this saga is an allegation of rape. And this is what makes this story such a dismal episode for the so-called women's movement. People such as Heidi Yates, the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner, have lauded Higgins for her advocacy work. But what precisely has Higgins become an advocate for? To many women, Higgins has become known, most famously, as the woman who chose to go to the media first, to politicians second, and to the police, to lodge a formal complaint, third." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>19058165 Video: Bruce Lehrmann breaks his silence on Brittany Higgins case. Full 7NEWS Spotlight Interview - The man accused of raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House has admitted he told three different stories to three different people when asked why he was in the office at the time the alleged rape took place. In a 7NEWS Spotlight exclusive, Bruce Lehrmann has offered his version of events.

#19188886 at 2023-07-16 09:31:32 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 32
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 8
>>19010860 Brittany Higgins's elusive iCloud password delayed police completing brief of evidence for DPP - The investigation into Brittany Higgins' rape allegation faced repeated delays because police could not access her cloud drives, which detectives believed contained potentially crucial evidence including emails and photos. New documents released by the Board of Inquiry into the ACT's criminal justice system reveal that senior detectives were desperate to access Ms Higgins' iCloud account as they worked to complete their brief of evidence for the Director of Public Prosecutions in mid-2021. But after finally gaining access, weeks later, the material they sought was not there.
>>19010879 40 years of economic loss, end to political career reasons for Brittany Higgins $2.5m payout - Brittany Higgins claimed up to 40 years' worth of economic loss and the end of her pursuit of a future political career were among the reasons she was due more than $2.5m in compensation from the government after allegedly being raped, a draft statement of claim has revealed. The revelations came as Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus refused to answer questions over Ms Higgins' multi-million-dollar payout, which was provided without the consultation of former senior Liberal ministers at the centre of her claims.
>>19010895 Katy Gallagher was invited to wedding of David Sharaz - Katy Gallagher has confirmed that Brittany Higgins' fiance David Sharaz invited her to attend his first wedding in 2018, as senior Labor ministers hid behind parliamentary procedural tactics to dodge questions about when they first became aware of the Higgins rape allegations. The Finance Minister came under fire for a second consecutive day in question time over her relationship with Mr Sharaz, involvement in Ms Higgins' reported $3m payout, and who contacted her prior to the sexual abuse allegations airing on The Project in February 2021. Asked about her invitation to Mr Sharaz's wedding to former wife Alexandra Craig, Senator Gallagher said: "I didn't recall that until I heard it reported and I had to ask the people I worked with at the time. I got a lot of invitations to a lot of things, some I was able to go to and others I weren't. I didn't attend that one. The invitation was declined," she told parliament.
>>19010904 Labor's grotesque hypocrisy appears to know no bounds - "For political chutzpah, senior Labor MPs who weaponised a rape allegation win hands down. This week in the federal parliament, Australians were treated to one of the more grotesque displays of political hypocrisy, subterfuge and trickery. The same politicians who weaponised a rape allegation for their own brute political purposes are now in high dudgeon about the public exposure of material that points to the extent of Labor's involvement in this scandal. This newspaper revealed texts that suggested, among other things, that Katy Gallagher received a transcript of The Project interview before it aired. Publishing that text meant we know now that Gallagher was sought out by David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins about the rape allegation - even before questions were put by The Project to people portrayed as the chief villains: Bruce Lehrmann, Linda Reynolds and her former chief of staff Fiona Brown." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>19010931 Gallagher must come clean for the sake of the Albanese government - "Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has finally admitted she had prior knowledge of the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins, so why is it now good enough simply to take her word that she didn't then weaponise the information? A thorough and independent inquiry needs to be held into whether Gallagher crossed the line. What seemed to have been forgotten by all the sorry actors in this sordid affair is that there was a criminal matter that needed to be tried. A rape was alleged and the victim and the accused deserved their day in court. Neither now have that closure. Both have been let down by a prosecutor and process that is itself under intense judicial scrutiny by Walter Sofronoff KC. Albanese would be well served by outing the truth and let Gallagher clear her name lest this does lasting damage to his own standing as Prime Minister." - Cameron Milner - theaustralian.com.au

#19188885 at 2023-07-16 09:31:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 31
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 7
>>18998327 Indigenous Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says Lisa Wilkinson has not contacted her personally to apologise - The Indigenous senator who was mocked by Lisa Wilkinson as a "diversity pick" says the star journalist has not contacted her personally to apologise. Northern Territory CLP Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price lashed Wilkinson after audio emerged of the media personality making comments about the senator and struggling to pronounce her name during a pre-interview with Brittany Higgins and her partner David Sharaz. "She hasn't personally made an apology to myself," Senator Price told Sharri Markson on Sky News in her first interview since the incident. "If she was a real woman, I'd guess she'd ring me and personally apologise."
>>18998342 Lehrmann court leak of Wilkinson recordings referred to police - Recordings of a five-hour meeting involving Brittany Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson that were leaked to the media have been referred to police to investigate whether a contempt of court has been committed by passing on sensitive documents originally meant for the Bruce Lehrmann criminal trial. Thomson Geer law firm partner Marlia Saunders, who is acting for Network Ten in Lehrmann's defamation proceedings, made a complaint to ACT Policing last Wednesday about material issued under subpoena for his criminal trial being aired in a televised interview with the Seven Network last week.
>>18998374 Video: Linda Reynolds sues Tanya Plibersek for defamation over Brittany Higgins comments - Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds has taken legal action against Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, claiming Ms Plibersek defamed her in a television interview by stating she had "covered up" Brittany Higgins' alleged rape. In a defamation concerns notice obtained by The Australian, Senator Reynolds accused Ms Plibersek of making false statements throughout the Channel 7 interview, that implied she had acted inappropriately during the investigation of Ms Higgins' allegations and had attempted to "hide the commission of a criminal offence." During the interview, which aired on Monday morning, Ms Plibersek stated: "The central point here is that a young woman made an allegation that she had been sexually assaulted in her workplace and that it had been inappropriately investigated, even covered up by her employers."
>>19005424 Higgins, Sharaz and Wilkinson's media campaign has backfired - "The beauty of the press is that it can't be controlled. True, the supine, the stupid and the ideological end of the press can be manipulated, but eventually, in a free and open society with a competitive media, if a story is important enough, the press will usually ensure the truth comes out. That beauty became a problem for Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz. They made a rookie's error when they set out on a strategy to use the media, instead of the criminal justice system, to press their case. Having tried to mould the media message, they cannot complain when some parts of the media - including this newspaper - decline to be shaped for their purposes. That was the gamble Higgins and Sharaz took. The effect of the Higgins-Sharaz media and political campaign was not merely to put themselves in the spotlight but to deprive Lehrmann of the presumption of innocence and the due process a normal criminal justice investigation would have given him." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>19005438 Brittany Higgins explains leg bruise injury photo date discrepancy - Brittany Higgins's explanation of why the photograph of a bruise on her leg did not match the timeline of her rape allegation against Bruce Lehrmann has finally been revealed. File notes made by ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates reveal that Ms Higgins told senior police that the leg bruise image she had provided to them and high-profile journalists was actually a screenshot of the original picture which had been mysteriously wiped from her phone by someone else.
>>19005464 Finance Minister Katy Gallagher reveals she never declared conflict over multimillion-dollar compensation payout - Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has said she never declared a conflict of interest in relation to a multimillion-dollar compensation payout to Brittany Higgins because it "never crossed her desk." News.com.au revealed in December that Ms Higgins' legal team had entered negotiations over a multimillion-dollar personal injury claim. Asked whether she subsequently declared a conflict of interest given her close contact and the fact her own department was responsible for administering the payout, Ms Gallagher said there was never any need because the negotiation was kept at arms length. "If it had come to me, I would have declared a conflict but it didn't. It didn't cross my desk,'' Senator Gallagher said.

#19188883 at 2023-07-16 09:30:38 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 29
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 5
>>18977134 Labor sought to gain - it's found political pain over Brittany Higgins saga - "The vexing domestic realities of being prime minister have landed squarely at Anthony Albanese's feet this week after his return from overseas. Facing a war with inflation, battles with business, the spectre of recession and flagging support for the voice to parliament, Albanese now also faces a potential political scandal involving senior members of his government. Having had an easy ride for the first 12 months in office, Albanese is now under pressure, with the road ahead riddled with potential political potholes. The key to the Brittany Higgins text revelations is who among Albanese's cabinet colleagues knew what and when. There are unresolved questions about what level of involvement members of the then Labor opposition had." - Simon Benson - theaustralian.com.au
>>18977148 David Sharaz is a 'puppet master' set on destroying the Liberals: Bruce Lehrmann - Bruce Lehrmann has claimed Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz is a "puppet master" who orchestrated the release of the rape allegations against him, and says he has exploited Ms Higgins' "fame" to engineer a campaign to support Labor and topple the ?Liberals. Mr Lehrmann's scathing opinion of Mr Sharaz comes as leaked text messages reveal Mr Sharaz had used his connections with a former Labor media adviser to line up a job for Ms Higgins, following her resignation from the office of former attorney-general Michaelia Cash.
>>18977167 What we know about Brittany Higgins' fiance David Sharaz - From support act to central player, the links of David Sharaz to Canberra and key figures in the Labor Party appear deeply personal. After a week of explosive revelations, the fiance of Brittany Higgins, David Sharaz has gone from support act to central figure in the saga involving her alleged rape at Parliament House. Who is David Sharaz and where did he work? Why did he meet with Lisa Wilkinson? Why is he under fire?
>>18977231 Video: Lisa Wilkinson caught mocking Liberals in secret tape - Ex-Project star Lisa Wilkinson has been caught on tape struggling to pronounce Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's name and mocking Liberals with Ten colleagues. The explosive audio was recorded by Project producer Angus Llewllyn on his mobile phone during a pre-interview discussion at a Sydney hotel on January 27, 2021. It includes Ms Wilkinson, Brittany Higgins, her partner David Sharaz and Llewllyn, an executive producer, drinking gin and tonics and mimosas and giving their 'unplugged' views on political leaders.
>>18977278 Wilkinson, Network 10 apologise to Jacinta Nampijinpa Price over leaked recording - Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10 have apologised to Opposition Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Jacinta Nampijinpa Price after leaked audio revealed Wilkinson struggling to pronounce the senator's name in a manner she claimed was racist. But Ms Wilkinson also defended the "tenor" of the conversation, which Senator Price claimed was "derogatory", as about how many female Liberal pre-selections "were in unwinnable positions". "I sincerely apologise to Senator Price for any offence I may have caused. The conversation was private and not intended to appear as it has out of context and in the public arena," she said in a statement released by Network 10.
>>18982556 Brittany Higgins: Gallagher, Wong 'knew of rape claim' - Former defence minister Linda Reynolds claims now-Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and now-Foreign Minister Penny Wong conceded to her that they knew about Brittany Higgins' rape allegations before they were made public, hours after Senator Gallagher told the Senate she had no prior knowledge of the ex-staffer's story. The Coalition will use parliament next week to ramp up pressure on Senator Gallagher over her knowledge of the rape allegation, as Anthony Albanese emphatically denies his minister misled the Senate.

#19188882 at 2023-07-16 09:30:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 28
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 4
>>18966103 THE AUSTRALIAN EDITORIAL - Texts show probe is needed into Higgins' compensation award - "The emergence of highly charged text messages between Brittany Higgins and her boyfriend David Sharaz raises important questions about the behaviour of senior political figures that must be answered. The plotting and conversations revealed in the text messages are of vital public interest. They go to the heart of how politics is played and how events that are the proper preserve of the criminal justice system can be exploited for personal and political gain. The extent of what appears to be collusion between Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz and political figures demands that a proper investigation be launched into a decision to award more than $2m in compensation to Ms Higgins with what could be considered a questionable regard for proper process."
>>18971017 Anthony Albanese defends Katy Gallagher amid involvement with Brittany Higgins allegation and compensation - Pressure is mounting for Anthony Albanese and key ministers in his government to disclose whether they had any involvement in helping Brittany Higgins pursue her rape allegation against Bruce Lehrmann after it was revealed the former political staffer and her boyfriend David Sharaz strategised how to make use of senior Labor figures. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher sits at the centre of the pair's scheming, with Mr Sharaz having boasted about his friendship with the senator to Ms Higgins. Texts published in The Australian reveal Mr Sharaz and Senator Gallagher were in touch and that she was "angry and wants to help" before the rape allegation was made public.
>>18971045 Peter Dutton backs move to refer Brittany Higgins' settlement to the National Anti-Corruption Commission - Peter Dutton has backed a move to refer the confidential Commonwealth payout made to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins to the new federal integrity watchdog for investigation. The Opposition Leader told 2GB Radio on Thursday that Anthony Albanese and other senior figures in the federal government had questions to answer about the payout and what they knew about Ms Higgins' rape allegation and when. "It just seems that as each day goes by, there are more questions than there are answers and I think that's creating a lot of suspicion understandably," Mr Dutton said.
>>18977050 Video: Sharri Markson: Deep links between Brittany Higgins and Labor show how allegations were 'exploited for political purposes' - Sky News Australia host Sharri Markson has again exposed another link between the ALP and Ms Higgins and her now-fianc? David Sharaz. Emma Webster was seen throughout the Lehrmann trial side-by-side with Ms Higgins offering her support. Ms Higgins even described the former Labor staffer as a "wise advisor". While Ms Webster was mentioned throughout the trial as a close friend of Ms Higgins and a lobbyist her deep Labor connections were hardly ever revealed. Before starting at Hawker Britton as a senior lobbyist, Ms Webster was a top advisor for former prime minister Julia Gillard, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Ms Gallagher when she was the ACT chief minister.
>>18977104 Katy Gallagher accused of misleading parliament, faces referral to corruption watchdog - Katy Gallagher is facing serious claims she misled parliament over an outburst in which she rejected assertions she was tipped off about Brittany Higgins' rape allegations in 2021, as pressure builds on Anthony Albanese over Labor's war-gaming with Ms Higgins' fiance David Sharaz. The Finance Minister and senior government ministers went to ground on Thursday following the damaging fallout from text messages and audio recordings of Mr Sharaz and Ms Higgins boasting about contact and collusion with senior Labor figures. The Australian can also reveal texts between the couple that show Mr Sharaz's response to their growing fame after the allegations became public, with Ms Higgins' partner telling her they "exude power" and expressing his delight at organising her private meetings with former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull.

#19188878 at 2023-07-16 09:29:45 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 26
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 2
>>18954987 Video: Wilkinson, Higgins war-gamed 'friendlies' - Brittany Higgins and Lisa Wilkinson war-gamed how to recruit prominent politicians and media figures who could help give momentum to their upcoming interview on The Project, as the TV host made suggestions to the former Liberal staffer about how to frame her story. The more than five-hour session, which also involved Ms Higgins' boyfriend David Sharaz and Wilkinson's producer Angus Llewellyn, was recorded on January 27, 2021 a few days before they filmed the interview that was broadcast on February 15 revealing Ms Higgins' claims she had been raped in Parliament House. The group brainstormed MPs who would "fire questions" in question time over the alleged sexual assault, highlighting Labor leaders Anthony Albanese and Tanya Plibersek as key players.
>>18955007 Video: Bruce Lehrmann says he hasn't ruled out suing Brittany Higgins for defamation in first TV interview since being accused of rape - Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann says he has not ruled out suing Brittany Higgins personally for defamation. Mr Lehrmann made the comments in his first television interview since Ms Higgins accused him of raping her at Parliament House in 2019. Mr Lehrmann's trial was abandoned due to juror misconduct last year. There are no findings against him. Speaking to 7NEWS Spotlight, Mr Lehrmann strenuously denied raping Ms Higgins but acknowledged that many people did not believe him. "I accept that there's going to be 50 per cent of the country, probably more, that thinks I'm a rapist," he said.
>>18955017 'Brittany Higgins lied to save her job': Bruce Lehrmann - Bruce Lehrmann has accused Brittany Higgins of lying about being raped to save her job, as he announced he had not ruled out suing the former Liberal staffer for defamation. In a new, wide-ranging interview, Mr Lehrmann spoke of how her sexual assault allegation forced him to contemplate suicide. The Spotlight episode also included footage of Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann arriving at Parliament House on the night of the alleged rape. He claimed Ms Higgins intentionally told senator Linda Reynolds' chief of staff, Fiona Brown, the "white lie" that he had raped her in order to keep her job after seeing him get sacked.
>>18955049 'Malicious': ABC deliberately tried to prejudice my rape trial, says Bruce Lehrmann - The ABC deliberately tried to prejudice Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial when it broadcast an address by Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame at the National Press Club knowing he had been publicly named and charged, according to documents just filed in the Federal Court. Mr Lehrmann first filed his claim against the ABC in April but now claims it broadcast the Press Club event with "an improper motive", namely to prejudice upcoming criminal proceedings against him, and that the broadcaster's recklessness was so extreme that it amounted to "wilful blindness and constituted malice".
>>18955072 'It's pretty sick': Bruce Lehrmann denies giving Brittany Higgins bruise in tell-all interview - Bruce Lehrmann has accused Brittany Higgins of having "fabricated" a photo of a bruise she claimed he inflicted during an alleged sexual assault. In February 2021, Ms Higgins spoke on The Project with host Lisa Wilkinson in an explosive interview regarding the alleged rape, during which she shared a disturbing image of a large bruise on her leg. On Sunday evening, Mr Lehrmann addressed the photograph in his own sit-down interview on the Channel 7's Spotlight program, denying the authenticity of the image. "It was fabricated," he said. "That's the only explanation ... or it's a bruise from much later." Ms Higgins said in her 2021 interview that the site of the bruise was "essentially where (Mr Lehrmann's) leg pinned (her) down".
>>18955096 Video: Tanya Plibersek hits back over Brittany Higgins question - A senior politician singled out by Lisa Wilkinson as a "friendly MP" likely to help fuel momentum for Brittany Higgins' rape allegation in question time says she was never approached and would not have accepted being told what to ask. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek was asked five times by Natalie Barr whether or not she had been approached to help fuel the story when she appeared on Sunrise on Monday morning. She said she reached out to Ms Higgins after she made her sexual assault allegations public two years ago. Ms Plibersek, who at the time was a senior opposition frontbencher, said she did not recall if the former political staffer had spoken to her about "firing up" specific questions during question time.

#19188877 at 2023-07-16 09:29:25 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #31: MAGIC SWORD - IN THE FACE OF EVIL Edition

#30 - Part 25
Brittany Higgins Rape Trial and Sofronoff Inquiry into ACT Criminal Justice System - Part 1
>>18928680 Brittany Higgins is the wrong face for #MeToo - "With the board of inquiry into its third week of public hearings, it is becoming increasingly clear that Higgins is, and was, the wrong face for the #MeToo movement. Decisions by her, and those around her, to air her allegation in the media have undermined key features of our criminal justice system. Higgins, of course, has every right to go to the media first and police second. That was her strategy from the start. But that strategy, bolstered daily by her media supporters, came at a high cost to the police investigation, to the workings of the Office of the DPP, to the trial in the ACT Supreme Court and to subsequent events." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>18939581 Bruce Lehrmann discontinues defamation action against News Life Media - Bruce Lehrmann has discontinued his defamation action against News Life Media and news.com.au's national political editor Samantha Maiden. Mr Lehrmann and News have reached an out-of-court settlement. News.com.au editor-in-chief Lisa Muxworthy said the two articles at the centre of the dispute remain online and have been updated with an editorial note. There is no apology or correction.
>>18939595 Sofronoff inquiry hears Heidi Yates knew of Higgins's claim before it went public - Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates knew about Brittany Higgins's sexual assault allegation a month before the former Liberal staffer publicly claimed that Bruce Lehrmann raped her inside Parliament House. And within three days of meeting Ms Higgins, Ms Yates was accompanying her to meetings with Anthony Albanese and Scott Morrison. Board chairman Walter Sofronoff KC is considering whether the Victims of Crime Commissioner acted in accordance with her relevant statutory framework in terms of the support she provided to Ms Higgins. During examination, Ms Yates defended her decision to be "the public face of support" for Ms Higgins by walking into the ACT Supreme Court, past a media pack, with her each day, despite its propensity to affect the accused's presumption of innocence. Mr Sofronoff said by doing so, Ms Yates had decided to "really be the public face of that support".
>>18939617 Victims of Crime Commissioner reveals 'sensitive' details about Brittany Higgins' mental health - Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates has given harrowing evidence of calling an ambulance for Brittany Higgins when she believed there was an immediate threat to her life. In her first day of evidence at the inquiry into the investigation and prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann, Ms Yates has revealed she was reluctant to canvass the private matters but had sought Ms Higgins permission to do so. Detailing the multiple mental health incidents and hospitalisations that followed during her engagement with Ms Higgins, she revealed one incident followed the delay to the trial that followed Lisa Wilkinson's Logies speech. She said despite repeated attempts to secure mental health counselling and support for Ms Higgins, she was struck throughout her contact with Ms Higgins by how isolated she was and how few people she trusted.
>>18939641 'She was not OK': ACT victims advocate feared Higgins would collapse during speech - The ACT's victims of crime commissioner, Heidi Yates, says she would have reconsidered standing next to Brittany Higgins during a televised speech after the Lehrmann rape trial was aborted if she'd known what she was going to say. Yates, who has been publicly accused of damaging the presumption of innocence of former Coalition staffer Bruce Lehrmann by her actions in the high-profile case, has told a public inquiry she was instead thinking of the possibility of his accuser collapsing while addressing the media shortly after the mistrial. "She was clearly not OK," Yates told the inquiry into the handling of the case, explaining Higgins had suffered a panic attack when ACT Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucy McCallum cut short the trial on the morning of October 27, 2022, due to the misconduct of a single juror.

#18422544 at 2023-02-28 05:43:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 19
Australian Politics and Society - Part 19
>>18407841 The Voice to Parliament yes campaign launches amid calls for the 'progressive no' to be heard - "We're not focusing on the day after the referendum, we're focusing on survival today," newly independent Senator Lidia Thorpe explained on Thursday, as she upped the ante on the debate over a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament
>>18407884 Right wingers protest at Manly Library's WorldPride Drag Queen Story Time event for kids - Right wing and anti-LGBQTI+ demonstrators turned up to protest at a Drag Queen story time event in Sydney, but were outnumbered by supporters at the event for kids - The demonstrators were far outnumbered by supporters of the WorldPride-linked "Drag Queen Story Time at Manly Library" with entertainer Charisma Belle
>>18408043 Space consultant's visa cancelled over 'potential security threat' - A consultant working in the Australian space industry who boasted of close ties to the Russian government and who spent months cultivating Australian government and business contacts has been declared a potential national security threat by the nation's spy chief - Sources have confirmed ASIO recently advised the federal government to expel Kazakhstan-born Marina Sologub more than two years after she travelled from her home in Ireland to Adelaide on a distinguished talent visa
>>18408103 'Australia a growing target': Ex-US spy boss says Russian agents keener for our secrets - Australia's support for Ukraine and its rise as a global player through partnerships such as AUKUS have transformed the nation into a prime target for Russian spying in a major change from just five years ago, a former American intelligence chief says - Mike Rogers, who headed the US National Security Agency and Cyber Command during the Obama and Trump administrations, warned that Australia would become an even more alluring honeypot for foreign spies when it acquired top-secret nuclear-powered submarine technology from the United States and United Kingdom - Rogers, a retired four-star US Navy admiral, said the AUKUS pact would require Australia to urgently fortify its cyber defence and intelligence-gathering capabilities
>>18408105 Q Post #585 - TRUST Adm R. He played the game to remain in control. Q

>>18413235 First public hearing announced for Bruce Lehrmann trial inquiry - The independent inquiry probing misconduct in the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins will hold its first public hearing on April 26, as Commissioner Walter Sofronoff, KC, continues to subpoena central figures in the case
>>18413243 An Australian's message for those tempted to join Ukraine's fight: 'Don't' - For Felix Metrikas, joining the war in Ukraine was a lot easier than leaving it. After nine months providing training and supplies to Ukraine troops, a part of him is ready to return home to Geelong. Felix has a message for other Australians tempted to joint the fight: Don't. "It is hypocritical, but I would not encourage more people to come. To anyone who is considering it, this is worse than I thought it could be," he said. "I have had friends over here who have been killed. Guys with daughters of their own…..The reality of this war is much more chaotic than what is being portrayed. I wasn't ready for this kind of thing. I wish it wasn't happening to the Ukrainian people."
>>18417998 US bestows honour on African American co-leader of Eureka Stockade - John Joseph, an African American man who was the first person tried and acquitted for the Eureka Rebellion and who was buried in an unmarked grave has been memorialised in central Victoria - The US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, unveiled a plaque at White Hills Cemetery in Bendigo to honour John Joseph's life
>>18418033 Caroline Kennedy visits Bendigo: US Ambassador to Australia lays plaque - America has "no closer ally" than Australia, US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy has said - She made the comment at the unveiling of a plaque at the White Hills cemetery to commemorate the life of US-born historical figure John Joseph
>>18418091 Anthony Albanese to establish a new agency to lead Australia's fight against mass cyber attacks by state-sponsored hackers and criminal gangs under a seven-year strategy to strengthen defences
>>18418106 Federal police to blitz foreign interference in multicultural communities, amid concerns the problem is both under-reported and widespread - Federal police community liaison teams will meet community and faith leaders to raise awareness about the problem and urge people to report suspected foreign interference to police or community leaders

#18422528 at 2023-02-28 05:39:01 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 13
Australian Politics and Society - Part 13
>>18299818 Christian Lobby, deputy premier pushback over Pussay Poppins drag storytime event at Launceston Library - Tasmania's education minister Roger Jaensch is resisting calls to cancel a book reading by a drag queen at a state-run library, even as the state's deputy premier Michael Ferguson declared he "wouldn't be taking my children"
>>18299843 'We need a plan B': Unions have 'deep concerns' about AUKUS pact - Labor's traditional union allies say they harbour deep concerns about Australia's plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and fear the AUKUS pact will not deliver the promised bonanza of Australian manufacturing jobs
>>18299854 US Congress suggests sending B-21 stealth bombers to Australia under AUKUS partnership - America's next-generation B-21 bomber could be sent to Australia to "accelerate" national security under a congressional proposal put to the US secretary of defense
>>18306023 'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Bruce Lehrmann sues Lisa Wilkinson for damages - Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann is suing Channel 10 and its star Lisa Wilkinson for defamation, accusing them of seeking to exploit allegations of sexual ?assault against him for ?personal and professional gain
>>18306039 AUKUS 'trilateral submarine' surfaces as option - Speculation is mounting that Australia may opt for a next-generation British submarine with a US combat system and weapons, rather than an American boat, as our future nuclear-propelled sub
>>18306046 Quick submarine deal could change regional balance of power: US Admiral - Australia should receive nuclear-powered submarines quickly under the AUKUS agreement and not wait decades for their development, says Admiral Harry Harris, former Commander of the US Pacific Command
>>18306059 AUKUS: 'Share military secrets with Australia' urges former US navy chief - Admiral Harry Harris, the former commander of the US military in the Indo-Pacific, has urged the new Republican controlled congress to slash regulations that impede the sharing of advanced military technology with Australia's "tremendous military", declaring the AUKUS security pact "supremely important"

>>18306100 Voice discussion, not campaign, in schools: Daniel Andrews - Daniel Andrews has downplayed Victorian education department policy promoting the Indigenous voice to parliament as part of the state's "journey to treaty", saying he doesn't believe there'll be a "campaign" for the yes case in schools, but rather a "discussion" about an important national event
>>18306116 Voice to Parliament pamphlets advocating both sides to be sent to Australians, in concession to Peter Dutton - The government has conceded to a Liberal Party demand for pamphlets making cases both for and against the Voice to Parliament to be issued ahead of the referendum, in hopes of bringing the opposition onboard
>>18312164 AUKUS poses no risk to sovereignty: Richard Marles - Defence Minister Richard Marles will move to allay fears the AUKUS pact will undermine the nation's sovereignty by making it overly reliant on foreign technology, arguing nuclear submarines and other high-end capabilities will build the nation's self-reliance
>>18312173 Defence Minister insists AUKUS will enhance Australia's sovereignty, not dependence on US - Australians are being assured the controversial AUKUS pact will not undermine this country's sovereignty or increase military dependence on the United States
>>18318259 Anthony Albanese adopts new tone for Indigenous voice to parliament - Anthony Albanese has embarked on a major reset of his campaign for an Indigenous voice to parliament to engage the support of the Coalition, promising to provide further detail and use a bipartisan committee to be set up next month to maximise support for the referendum
>>18318465 Indonesia and Australia promise new defence cooperation agreement despite AUKUS tensions - Indonesia and Australia have promised to strike a new defence cooperation agreement, despite lingering tensions over the federal government's push to acquire nuclear-powered submarines
>>18324634, >>18326591 Anthony Albanese to become first sitting Australian PM to march in Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras - Prime Minister likens upcoming Indigenous voice referendum to the successful 2017 marriage equality vote - The Prime Minister will be joined by the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, the first openly gay woman in Parliament
>>18324657 Why Anthony Albanese backed down on voice pamphlets stoush - "Peter Dutton's demands for the commonsense distribution of pamphlets, particularly for older and non-English-speaking Australians, was a rational and reasonable request in the name of normal process and procedure that was giving the Liberals grounds to oppose the referendum and was creating suspicion and confusion." - Dennis Shanahan - theaustralian.com.au

#18422519 at 2023-02-28 05:35:46 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 11
Australian Politics and Society - Part 11
>>18275458 Peter Dutton slams ABC's 'rubbish' reporting on Alice Springs - Peter Dutton has demanded ABC chair Ita Buttrose address what he calls the "rubbish" reporting from Alice Springs that has been aired on the public broadcaster in the past week
>>18275475 PM flags overhaul of Australia's counter-terror laws to combat 'real threat' of rightwing extremism - Recent murders of police officers at Wieambilla highlight need for action to protect community safety, Anthony Albanese says
>>18275488 Higgins DPP threatened me: trial witness - Former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown, a key witness in the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial has accused ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold of threatening and intimidating her as she left the witness box on a morning tea break, and of ignoring her pleas to be recalled to the stand to refute what she alleged was "blatantly false and misleading" evidence by Brittany Higgins
>>18275654 Video: Donald Trump puts gender 'madness' on front line of US culture wars - Donald Trump has vowed to pass legislation that recognises only two genders under US law if he is elected president as he seeks to shore up his conservative base and outflank rival candidates on the right of the Republican Party
>>18275686 Malcolm Turnbull says Labor has failed to answer if AUKUS deal compromises Australian sovereignty - Former PM says if operation of nuclear subs depends on US then that is 'a momentous change which has not been acknowledged'
>>18275708 Australia prepares to unveil AUKUS nuclear submarine plans in the United States - Anthony Albanese is expected to detail Australia's preferred nuclear submarine option on American soil next month, alongside US President Joe Biden and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak - raising the prospect of a potential new boat design involving all three allies

>>18275735 Video: 1st Marine Division Tweet - Happy Birthday to Us - #USMC #Marines #military #semperfi #82yearsyoung - "No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy"
>>18280215 ABC issues extraordinary apology over Alice Springs stories - The ABC has issued an extraordinary apology for airing multiple reports on Tuesday claiming there were displays of "white supremacy" at an Alice Springs community meeting - The ABC said "ABC news management takes responsibility" for the reports that were broadcast on its AM radio program and Newsradio that provided "an incomplete picture of the event"
>>18280329 ABC issues apology over 'biased' coverage of Alice Springs community meeting - The ABC has backflipped over its controversial Alice Springs coverage by issuing an apology just hours after it was threatened with an official investigation into the matter
>>18282644 Legal threat over Brittany Higgins memoir - Lawyers for Linda Reynolds have written to Brittany Higgins's publishers warning against any defamatory references to the former Liberal minister, saying they believe publication of Ms Higgins' memoir is imminent and seeking a copy of the manuscript
>>18282674 Lehrmann trial inquiry must restore faith in law and order - Last week, Walter Sofronoff KC was appointed by the ACT government to head the board of inquiry to examine the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Australian Federal Police and the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner before, during and after the trial of Bruce Lehrmann - This inquiry, the ACT's version of a royal commission, could mark a turning point for the law and the media in this country. Here is a rare chance for a widely respected member of the legal profession to remind our most powerful institutions, and the rest of the country, that there is no substitute for the principle that underpins our justice system: that our laws apply equally to all people, and the corollary of that is that the protections at law apply equally to all - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>18282688 AUKUS subs a boon but finding nuclear workforce will challenge us: Richard Marles - Defence Minister Richard Marles has warned that Australia's plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines faces a significant challenge to find the workforce needed to bring the ships to service
>>18288422 Mental health checks for WA's gun owners to become mandatory under changes to firearms laws - Anyone buying a gun in Western Australia will have to undergo mandatory and ongoing mental health checks, as part of a complete overhaul of the state's 50-year-old firearms legislation - The changes are designed to create some of the toughest gun laws in the country

#18422518 at 2023-02-28 05:35:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#27 - Part 10
Australian Politics and Society - Part 10
>>18252301 Triple-0 surge in Northern Territory after strict alcohol ban lifted - Northern Territory ambulances have attended to nearly double the number of assaults and sexual attacks since strict alcohol bans lapsed late last year, as Alice Springs residents braced for chaos amid a new sweep of grog restrictions
>>18258283 Anthony Albanese under fire for spending more time at Australian Open than in Alice Springs - Anthony Albanese has been slammed for spending more time enjoying an ice cream and sipping a beer than fixing a massive crisis
>>18258294 "Get out of the bloody corporate boxes": Warren Mundine slams PM for time at Aus Open - Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has slammed Anthony Albanese's lengthy visit to the Aus Open, likening it to a former PM's notorious Hawaii trip
>>18258333 Yes and no Voice campaigns battle it out for the migrant vote - Migrants will be told to vote 'yes' for an Indigenous Voice at religious services, in ethnic newspapers and through non-English radio stations, while No campaigners will tell migrants to reject the notion that Australia is a racist nation
>>18258409 Australia's nuclear safety agency joins the hunt for a tiny radioactive capsule missing somewhere in the outback, sending a team with specialised car-mounted and portable detection equipment
>>18258434 The gunpowder pact: Australia, France cast aside past for unity on Ukraine - Both governments are keen to stress they've moved on from the row that saw Australia abandon diesel-powered French submarines in favour of nuclear-powered ones from the United States and Britain
>>18263747 Albanese prepared to take 'immediate action' to curb Alice Springs violence - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged to respond as soon as possible to the alcohol-fuelled social emergency in Alice Springs, as he awaits the findings of a snap report that will consider whether liquor bans should be reimposed on Indigenous communities
>>18263756 Mayors of Darwin, Katherine call for NT-wide alcohol restrictions amid concerns about crime - The mayors of two major Northern Territory towns say they want alcohol restrictions similar to Alice Springs rolled out across the jurisdiction, warning people who need alcohol will shift to other areas to access it

>>18263855 Australia aims for bigger fines a week into Outback hunt for radioactive capsule - Authorities in Australia aim to toughen up laws on the mishandling of radioactive material as a search for a hazardous capsule that a mining company lost in the Outback enters a seventh day
>>18263862 Missing radioactive capsule found in Western Australia - Australian authorities have found a radioactive capsule that was lost in the vast Outback after nearly a week-long search along a 1,400 km (870-mile) stretch of highway
>>18268946 Alice Springs residents weigh $1.5 billion class action bid against NT government in 'tense' crime meeting - Thousands of Alice Springs residents have gathered to share grief and anger over years of high property crime rates, with many voicing support for a class action against the Northern Territory government
>>18268961 Video: Deep divisions in Alice Springs over how to tackle crime wave - A town meeting in Alice Springs has ended in ugly scenes laying bare the deep-rooted problems and divisions on how to tackle ongoing violence in the community - ABC News (Australia)
>>18268978 Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson demands Ita Buttrose retract 'white supremacy' stories - The mayor of Alice Springs has demanded ABC chair Ita Buttrose retract multiple stories on the public broadcaster that claimed the town's community forum on Monday was beset by sentiments of "white supremacy"
>>18269047 Bruce Lehrmann lodges formal complaint of professional misconduct against ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC, alleging Mr Drumgold failed to ensure a fair trial over the Brittany Higgins rape allegations and that his conduct was driven by malice and "political interests"
>>18269076 Richard Marles, Penny Wong visit Australian troops training Ukrainian recruits in fight against Russia - Australian soldiers are running intensive combat courses for Ukrainian recruits at a military base in southern England, pushing them through an accelerated program in basic infantry training that will prepare them for the frontline back home
>>18269171 White House optimistic on tech sharing for Aukus security pact - Top US official sees 'pathway' for allies to build nuclear-powered submarines for Australia - The White House has expressed optimism that the US, UK and Australia will clear the main obstacle to their landmark security deal, allowing technology transfers that will enable Canberra to obtain nuclear-powered submarines

#18413235 at 2023-02-26 08:27:15 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18282674
First public hearing announced for Bruce Lehrmann trial inquiry

JANET ALBRECHTSEN - FEBRUARY 26, 2023

1/2

The independent inquiry probing misconduct in the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins will hold its first public hearing on April 26, as Commissioner Walter Sofronoff, KC, continues to subpoena central figures in the case.

Among those who have now been ordered to hand over all relevant material are the Australian Federal Police: the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC; ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates; and the ACT Bar Association.

All material produced under those subpoenas is subject to suppression orders imposed by Mr Sofronoff but it is expected that most evidence, including written statements and submissions will, in due course, appear on the commission's website.

Both Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann have indicated they will cooperate fully with the inquiry.

Mr Lehrmann's lawyer, Steven Whybrow, has also been subpoenaed. Mr Lehrmann has waived legal professional privilege over his communications with Mr Whybrow so his lawyer can cooperate fully with the inquiry.

Mr Sofronoff, a former Queensland solicitor-general and retired president of the Queensland Court of Appeal, has the power to issue search warrants and compel documents.

The inquiry will investigate the conduct of the police investigation and the conduct of the DPP, including his decisions to proceed to trial and not to proceed to a retrial.

Mr Sofronoff will also examine whether Ms Yates, who frequently accompanied Ms Higgins to court, "acted in accordance with the relevant statutory framework in terms of support provided to the complainant".

Among the crucial questions to be considered by Mr Sofronoff is whether Mr Drumgold exercised his prosecutorial discretion properly. That is, on the facts known at the time, would a reasonable person acting properly have decided to prosecute?

The Commissioner is specifically empowered under the terms of reference to examine the "reasons and motives" of all parties and will look at whether the DPP acted for the right reasons or whether he started from a position that led him to act improperly.

Mr Drumgold's public statements when he decided not to proceed with a second trial, after the first was aborted due to juror misconduct, are also likely to come under the microscope.

At his press conference, Mr Drumgold stood by his belief that there were reasonable prospects of securing a conviction against Mr Lehrmann and praised the "bravery, grace and dignity" of Ms Higgins but said nothing of the presumption of innocence due to Mr Lehrmann, who has at all times denied the allegations.

The comments astonished many in the legal profession who asked whether it was consistent with the responsibilities of a DPP to the administration of justice rather than to individual complainants.

Mr Sofronoff will be required to consider whether Mr Drumgold's remarks reflect a prosecutor who had such a set view about the case that he allowed it to influence his role as prosecutor.

(continued)

#18380432 at 2023-02-20 08:26:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363651
>>18367577
Brittany Higgins responds to Linda Reynolds interview

NOAH YIM - FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Brittany Higgins has responded to her former boss, Liberal senator Linda Reynolds, who for the first time since Ms Higgins' initial rape allegation spoke in a broad-ranging interview with The Weekend Australian.

Ms Higgins criticised one of the reports for referencing parts of her diary, saying no journalist should have been able to access "private information" she entrusted to police to aid their sexual assault investigation.

The report in The Weekend Australian revealed various media and political engagements in the week before the March 2021 March4Justice protest at Parliament where Ms Higgins spoke.

Ms Higgins tweeted: "Stop publishing the private contents of my phone. I voluntarily provided this material to the police to help them form the brief of evidence and none of it was tabled in court.

"Therefore, no journalist should have seen the photo of my diary. I entrusted the police with my private information for the sole purpose that it could aid their investigation into my sexual assault, nothing else."

In another Twitter post, Ms Higgins expressed incredulity at Senator Reynolds' claim that she was in "no state to defend" herself in a defamation suit brought by Ms Higgins after the West Australian senator had called her "a lying cow".

Senator Reynolds says she paid Ms Higgins compensation over the gibe simply to "make it go away" and was in poor health and on sick leave at the time.

"I'm publicly defamed by my former employer ... I donate the money to charity ... somehow Linda Reynolds is the victim in this scenario?" Ms Higgins asked in the Twitter post.

The former staffer confirmed in her Twitter post that she "immediately donated" all funds from that fee to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre as she had promised and attached a screenshot showing a payment, dated March 15, 2021, to the organisation.

Ms Higgins made national headlines in 2021 when she alleged she had been raped two years earlier by a colleague in Senator Reynolds' Parliament House office.

The colleague was later revealed to be Bruce Lehrmann, whose trial on rape charges was aborted last October due to juror misconduct.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and has at all times denied the allegations. The Director of Public Prosecutions has now withdrawn the charges.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-responds-to-linda-reynolds-interview/news-story/029516da23fc8e240e9df5f9e099833a

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1627025133104955392

#18380400 at 2023-02-20 08:11:23 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363651
Gallagher 'knew Higgins' boyfriend before payout'

Katy Gallagher, whose department paid a large settlement to Brittany Higgins, 'knew David Sharaz' before Ms Higgins' rape claims became public, Linda Reynolds says.

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - February 19, 2023

1/3

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, whose department paid a multimillion-dollar settlement to Brittany Higgins, admitted she knew Ms Higgins' boyfriend, David Sharaz, well ?before the former Liberal ?staffer went public with her rape ?allegations, Liberal senator Linda Reynolds claims. Senator Gallagher acknowledged her past association with Mr Sharaz in a private meeting with Senator Reynolds, attended by two other MPs in June 2021, and said he had warned her "something big" was going to happen, ?according to the former defence minister.

Senator Gallagher was responsible for the department that paid out the confidential settlement of up to $3m awarded to Ms Higgins in ?December over her claim she was not properly supported by Senator Reynolds and others after the ?alleged sexual assault by Bruce Lehrmann.

A spokesperson for Senator Gallagher told The Australian: "The Minister for Finance has no decision-making role in processes around significant legal matters."

The Albanese government barred Senator Reynolds from providing evidence in the case, threatening to tear up an agreement to pay her legal fees unless she agreed not to attend the one-day mediation.

At the time, Anthony Albanese declined to answer questions about whether it was a conflict of interest for Senator Gallagher to have oversight of the deal, given her earlier engagement on the issue and whether she should ?recuse herself from any involvement in it.

Labor has always denied any role in pushing the Higgins rape scandal for political gain.

But Senator Reynolds claimed she was the target of an orchestrated plot to bring down herself and the Morrison government, alleging senior Labor and media identities ruthlessly exploited her young staffer for political and personal gain.

"What happened should be of concern to all Australians, because this was clearly a political hit job on the government of the day to bring down the defence minister," Senator Reynolds said in an ?exclusive interview with The Weekend Australian.

She said the late Labor senator Kimberley Kitching had confided in her that Penny Wong - now Foreign Minister - knew of the rape allegations and planned to "weaponise" them.

"She was actually quite distressed that Penny's going to weaponise the incident," Senator Reynolds said.

"I said, why would you do that? And you know, Kimberley agreed. She said, I'm so sorry. But she said that."

Kitching later strongly denied leaking the information. However, Senator Reynolds reported her conversation with Kitching to the Australian Federal Police in a statement she provided during the investigation of Ms Higgins' allegations.

Senator Reynolds said Kitching told her she first heard about the incident in an anonymous ?letter she had received and which she passed on to the Australian Federal Police "because that was actually the appropriate thing to do".

"But she told me that Penny was really angry because she said 'we could've used it'."

That conversation with Kitching appears to have been still fresh in Senator Reynolds' mind on June 4, 2021, when she fronted a Senate estimates committee, having been demoted by Scott Morrison and by then serving as minister for the NDIS, where she was grilled by senators Wong and Gallagher.

Reynolds said neither woman would normally turn up for a community affairs hearing, so "I knew I was in for it".

After a heated exchange in which Senator Gallagher asked Senator Reynolds whether it was her decision to send Ms Higgins to Perth for the duration of the election campaign, Senator Reynolds said: "I know where this started."

When Senator Wong and Senator Gallagher demanded she ?explain, Senator Reynolds said: "I was told by one of your senators two weeks before about what you were intending to do with the story in my office - two weeks before."

The two Labor senators emphatically denied the allegation, and continued to do so during a private meeting with Senator Reynolds and her colleague, then families and social services minister Anne Ruston.

"Good actors or genuine?" Senator Reynolds wrote of the Labor senators' denials in contemporaneous diary notes.

"Either way shocked at implications. I had advised that Kimberley conversation was in my AFP statement (Penny asked if it was)."

(continued)

#18367577 at 2023-02-18 01:55:09 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363651
>>18363699
Brittany Higgins furious as 'private' diary entries leaked

Brittany Higgins has lashed out as "private" diary entries have been leaked after the material was sent to police to investigate her sexual assault allegation.

Samantha Maiden - February 18, 2023

1/2

Brittany Higgins has lashed out as the "private contents" of her diary were leaked after the material was sent to police to investigate her sexual assault allegation.

Ms Higgins said a photograph she took on her phone of her diary entry was submitted to police to help them form the brief of evidence but it was not tabled in court during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann last October.

Mr Lehrmann, a former Liberal staffer, was charged in relation to the sexual assault allegation but the trial collapsed following juror misconduct and the charge dropped by the DPP. Since he was charged in August 2021, Mr Lehrmann has maintained his innocence.

The Weekend Australian's article, titled Doubts, devastation and a designer coat: the story you haven't heard, today details Ms Higgins' diary notes.

"The Weekend Australian has seen copies of two pages from Higgins' 2021 Kikki. K gold spiral-bound diary for the week from March 8 to March 14 - the week before the March4Justice where Higgins would speak,'' the article states.

It notes that she met with journalists that month for lunch and dinner and a former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

In response, Ms Higgins said today that the publication of her private phone records was not appropriate and she also complained it was not the first time it had happened.

"Stop publishing the private contents of my phone,'' she said on social media. "I took a photo of an old page in my diary on the 7th of July 2021.

"It is now being referenced in an article in The Australian. This is the third time private images, texts and WhatsApps from my phone have been published by this particular news outlet.

"I voluntarily provided this material to the police to help them form the brief of evidence and none of it was tabled in court.

"Therefore, no journalist should have seen the photo of my diary."

Ms Higgins said the fact it had leaked and was published was distressing.

"I entrusted police with my private information for the sole purpose that it could aid their investigation into my sexual assault, nothing else,'' she said.

(continued)

#18363699 at 2023-02-17 14:29:13 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363033
>>18363651
Doubts, devastation and a designer coat: the story you haven't heard

When Brittany Higgins walked out of Parliament House on March 23, 2019, she was captured on CCTV wearing a Carla Zampatti jacket. That coat defines the gaping divide between the public's perception of the Higgins saga and what others knew.

JANET ALBRECHTSEN - 18 February 2023

1/8

When Brittany Higgins walked out of Parliament House at 10.01am on Saturday, March 23, 2019, she was captured on CCTV wearing a black and white Carla Zampatti jacket.

"I borrowed a jacket from the goodwill box," Higgins told police just over a week later, on April 1.

The Zampatti coat - where it came from, let alone what happened to it - is a small detail in a very big story. Yet it defines the gaping, perplexing divide between the public's perception of the Higgins saga and what others knew. The jacket is emblematic of the doubts and disagreements about that night and what happened after.

While the young staffer would repeat the claim that she took a jacket from a goodwill box in Linda Reynolds' ministerial suite in her testimony in the ACT Supreme Court last October during the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann, members of Reynolds' office have told The Weekend Australian that there was no goodwill bin or box or pile of clothes for charity in Reynolds' ministerial suite.

There was just a wardrobe full of the minister's jackets. Including the Zampatti that Higgins took, after waking up in her boss's office following a night drinking at The Dock bar in Canberra with colleagues and a Bumble date, before going to a nightclub for more drinks with Lehrmann and two other staffers.

Away from the court case that followed after Higgins alleged Lehrmann raped her in the ministerial suite, after the media stories, the questions in parliament, the poring over details, all of which moulded public opinion, there was another story the public never heard. And this story might not quite match what the public thought they knew.

Higgins has used the media to tell her story many times. Lehrmann told his story too, during a three-hour recorded police interview that was played in court last year. The trial, as we know, was aborted last October after a jury member went rogue. The Director of Public Prosecutions chose not to proceed with a second trial. Lehrmann has, all along, maintained his innocence. And many untold stories remain just that.

With this week marking the two-year anniversary of the explosive interview with Higgins by Lisa Wilkinson on The Project, Reynolds wants to set the record straight. Once and for all time, she says.

Reynolds spoke with The Weekend Australian last weekend, over more than four hours. As she sat down, she said she would answer every question. No holds barred. She is a no-nonsense woman. There is not a hint of self-pity. Which is remarkable given that Reynolds has been portrayed as a central villain in the Higgins story, a political conspirator who hid the rape of her staffer prior to the 2019 federal election.

At the outset, Reynolds tells me she respects Higgins' right to tell her story. "I respected her agency and it was her to story to tell. Just because it didn't match with my recollection of events and my story, it doesn't invalidate her right to tell her story, which she has," Reynolds says.

"But it didn't accord with my recollection of what had happened two years ago."

Reynolds was not able to tell her story during the criminal trial last year; prosecutor Shane Drumgold treated her as a hostile witness during the trial. Reynolds was prevented from telling her story during the civil claim where Higgins made serious allegations against her former boss and also against Reynolds' chief of staff, Fiona Brown; Labor Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus used his powers to muzzle Reynolds, instructing her not to attend the mediation in return for the commonwealth paying her legal fees.

Now, Reynolds is speaking up.

(continued)

#18363651 at 2023-02-17 14:20:35 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18363033
Higgins, the hit and the day I broke: Reynolds

The former minister at the centre of the Brittany Higgins rape scandal says she was the target of an orchestrated plot to bring down her and the Morrison government

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - 18 February 2023

1/4

The former Liberal cabinet ?minister at the centre of the ?Brittany Higgins rape scandal says she was the target of an orchestrated plot to bring down herself and the ?Morrison government, ?claiming senior Labor and media identities ruthlessly exploited her young staffer for political and ?personal gain.

Former defence minister Linda Reynolds has broken her two-year silence, alleging the rape case was used as a political weapon and acknowledging she was targeted "to the point where I broke".

"What happened should be of concern to all Australians, because this was clearly a political hit job on the government of the day to bring down the defence minister," Senator Reynolds said in an exclusive interview with The Weekend Australian.

Senator Reynolds made it clear she respected Ms Higgins' right to tell her story.

"Just because it didn't match with my recollection of events and my story, it doesn't invalidate her right to tell her story, which she has," she said.

"Brittany Higgins, I believe, was used in this situation in a way that should only ever have been an issue for the police and the justice system."

Among the revelations made by Senator Reynolds during more than four hours of interview were:

- That Ms Higgins' claims in her TV interview with Lisa Wilkinson bore so little resemblance to what Senator Reynolds had actually said or done that "it was like a bomb went off in my head";

- That being accused of covering up the rape of a young woman was so personally devastating that at one point, her health already failing, she collapsed on the bathroom floor, "broken, sobbing and inconsolable";

- Why she called Ms Higgins a "lying cow" - and why she paid up over the gibe;

- That when she met with Ms Higgins nine days after the incident in Senator Reynolds' office but before she said it included being raped, the young staffer was "apologetic" and "embarrassed" about the incident.

- That then prime minister Scott Morrison apologised to her privately, having rebuked her ?publicly;

- How she was betrayed by a colleague while recuperating on medical leave, declaring: "I was hung out to dry over a bowl of pasta."

Unable to speak previously because of the criminal case against Bruce Lehrmann, the man Ms Higgins accused of raping her in Senator Reynolds' office, and barred by the Albanese government from giving evidence in the multimillion-dollar civil case successfully brought by Ms Higgins against the commonwealth, the former defence minister is now ready to tell her side of the story.

"It's been the hardest two years of my life, without question," Senator Reynolds said. "I haven't been able to speak and my chief of staff and others haven't been able to tell their story. And we have a very different story."

Ms Higgins has been highly critical of Senator Reynolds' ?handling of the alleged assault, claiming the minister and her staff failed to support her in the ?aftermath or properly investigate the incident. But an internal department email obtained by The Weekend Australian casts fresh doubt on that claim.

On March 29, 2019, a senior ?official of the Department of ?Finance, responsible for dealing with the welfare of parliamentary staff, concluded that "appropriate" steps were being taken to protect Ms Higgins.

Senator Reynolds' chief of staff, Fiona Brown, had contacted the officer to ensure all necessary support was being given to the 24-year-old staffer, although at that point, on Ms Higgins' own evidence, she had not yet disclosed a sexual assault.

An email from assistant ?secretary Lauren Barons sets out the steps Ms Brown had already taken, including, notifying Ms Higgins that, "should she choose to, she is able to pursue a complaint, including a complaint made to police" and that Ms Brown had "made it very clear that if she requires assistance in making a complaint, you would be willing to support her".

Ms Barons said: "The steps you have taken are appropriate ... ?Ultimately any decision as to whether to lodge a police report or pursue any other form of complaint relating to this matter would be a personal choice of the person involved."

(continued)

#18363033 at 2023-02-17 11:20:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18235506
Ex-defence minister Linda Reynolds breaks her silence on the Brittany Higgins rape allegations: 'It was a hit job'

STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 17, 2023

In her first interview since being caught up in what she calls "the firestorm" of the Brittany Higgins rape allegations, former Liberal minister Linda Reynolds speaks exclusively to The Weekend Australian, accusing her political opponents of a "hit job" and saying she was "expendable".

Nearly four years on from the night Bruce Lehrmann allegedly raped Ms Higgins on a couch in Senator Reynolds's parliamentary office and almost exactly two years since Ms Higgins made her allegations public in the media, the former defence minister sits down with The Australian's Janet Albrechtsen to tell her side of the story.

"I haven't been able to speak for the last two years, obviously with the criminal trial and then the civil case underway. So much has been said about this political hit job, I think it's important for me to tell my story," Senator Reynolds says in the interviews to be published at the weekend.

When Ms Higgins went public with her allegation that she was raped by Mr Lehrmann, she was highly critical of Senator Reynolds' handling of the alleged assault, alleging the minister and her staff had failed to support her in the aftermath or properly investigate the incident.

Barred by the Albanese government from giving evidence in the multi-million dollar civil case successfully brought by Ms Higgins against the Commonwealth over its alleged failure to support her, Senator Reynolds is now keen to set the record straight.

"I'm a woman who has spent my life serving my nation in the parliament and in the army, but I was expendable," she says.

"Two years on my major reflection is a question I think for all Australians: what do you expect from your federal members of parliament?"

Senator Reynolds reveals the political machinations going on behind the scenes in parliament during that tumultuous period, and the personal toll the attacks have taken on her life and health.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty in the trial, which was later aborted because of juror misconduct. He has repeatedly stated his innocence.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/exdefence-minister-linda-reynolds-breaks-her-silence-on-the-brittany-higgins-rape-allegations-it-was-a-hit-job/news-story/6b8c1d50a9688686de8e6fbbd8c8c4d5

#18306023 at 2023-02-08 07:35:33 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18269047
'Recklessly indifferent to truth': Bruce Lehrmann sues Lisa Wilkinson for damages

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and REMY VARGA - FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann is suing Channel 10 and its star Lisa Wilkinson for defamation, accusing them of seeking to exploit allegations of sexual ?assault against him for ?personal and professional gain.

Mr Lehrmann, who has consistently denied raping former colleague Brittany Higgins, has launched defamation proceedings against Network Ten and News Life Media Pty Ltd - an arm of News Corp Australia - in Federal Court.

Wilkinson, former co-host of The Project, and Samantha Maiden, political editor for news.com.au, are understood to be second respondents in proceedings.

Mr Lehrmann further claims Wilkinson and Network Ten were "recklessly indifferent to the truth or falsity" when they alleged he raped Ms Higgins on the couch in the ministerial office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

The statement of claims references Ms Higgins' evidence from the aborted trial against Mr Lehrmann before the ACT Supreme Court when the former staffer said Maiden and Wilkinson had fought for the exclusive publication of her alleged story.

The statements of claim said it could be inferred that Wilkinson "was seeking to exploit the false allegations of sexual assault as made by Ms Higgins for her own personal and professional gain".

Mr Lehrmann further claims that Wilkinson and Network Ten were "recklessly indifferent to the truth or falsity of the ?imputations."

Brittany Higgins took to Twitter on Wednesday to repost a tweet she had published on December 7, with the words "A timely reminder".

The December tweet read: "Following recent developments, I feel the need to make it clear if required I am willing to defend the truth as a witness in any potential civil cases brought about by Mr Lehrmann."

Mr Lehrmann is being represented by defamation specialists Mark O'Brien Legal. It is understood defamation expert Matthew Richardson SC and barrister Steven Whybrow SC, who represented Mr Lehrmann during the trial, have been retained to run matters together.

The Project and news.com.au published Ms Higgins' allegations in broadcasts and online stories on February 15 in 2021. The original reports did not name Mr Lehrmann. The former staffer is claiming he was easily identified by a description as a senior staffer in Senator Reynold's office.

"By reason of publication of the matters complained of, the applicant has been greatly injured in his personal and professional reputation and has been and will be brought into public disrepute, odium, ridicule and contempt."

Ms Higgins alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her on a couch in Senator Reynolds's office in the early hours of March 23, 2019, after a night out.

The high-profile trial was aborted in October 2022 due to juror misconduct.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty at his trial and has at all times denied the allegations.

The DPP has now withdrawn the charges, with ACT director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold citing concern for Ms Higgins's mental health.

The Australian approached Network Ten and Wilkinson for comment.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/recklessly-indifferent-to-truth-Bruce-Lehrmann-sues-lisa-wilkinson-for-damages/news-story/3ca4994cfdc5fd58d80c57f74b0f1e11

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1623038017253539840

#18282674 at 2023-02-04 11:24:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18269047
Lehrmann trial inquiry must restore faith in law and order

JANET ALBRECHTSEN - FEBRUARY 4, 2023

1/2

Last week, Walter Sofronoff KC was appointed by the ACT government to head the board of inquiry to examine the conduct of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Australian Federal Police and the ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner before, during and after the trial of Bruce Lehrmann.

This inquiry - the ACT's version of a royal commission - could mark a turning point for the law and the media in this country. Here is a rare chance for a widely respected member of the legal profession to remind our most powerful institutions, and the rest of the country, that there is no substitute for the principle that underpins our justice system: that our laws apply equally to all people, and the corollary of that is that the protections at law apply equally to all.

The rule of law is often misunderstood, and therefore underappreciated. Worse, it is frequently disregarded by those who ought to know better, and sometimes by those whose duty it is to defend it. The Sofronoff inquiry will have to examine whether that happened in the Lehrmann trials - both of them - the first trial by media, ?followed by the courtroom trial in Canberra.

Sofronoff certainly does seem to be the man for the job.

When he was sworn in as a president of the Queensland Court of Appeal in 2017, Sofronoff explained his background. Not to warm our hearts, but to harden our resolve to defend the rule of law.

He explained how his father, a Cossack, born in Siberia, fled from Russia on horseback after the ?Bolsheviks razed the homes and took the lives of many Cossacks in the 1930s. His father travelled through Mongolia to Shanghai where he met a woman and married her. That woman, Sofronoff's mother, was also a refugee who had fled Harbin in Manchuria.

His father and mother were taken in by The Philippines, a very poor country that accepted more than 6000 Russian anti-communist refugees. Sofronoff was born a few years later after the family had moved to Australia.

Sofronoff explained why he mentioned his family at the august legal event: "My father and my mother knew and understood that there was something that they would gain for themselves and for their son, my brother, by coming here. My father used to refer to this by using the Russian word for 'order'. He would say that there is order here.

"He had experienced order under tyranny - the kind you achieve by obedience. But what he wanted as a refugee, and what he found here, was order of a different kind. Of course, by order, he really meant the rule of law."

Sofronoff spoke of the willingness of a people to abide by laws when laws are applied and enforced equally.

"In short, we believe in fair play," he said.

"And we believe in repelling any kind of corruption or distortion of our institutions that would pervert the conduct of the people who constitute those institutions."

This part of Sofronoff's background should interest us far more than his fast cars, or the skydiving or the guitars that sat in his chambers. An interesting, adventurous man is not enough to do the job. It requires bravery and determination to stand up to those people within some of the nation's most powerful institutions who are at the centre of this debacle. If their conduct has distorted the proper working of these institutions, then it damages the rule of law. And we need to know about it.

Sofronoff, a former solicitor-general of Queensland, is not known for shying away from tough gigs. Most recently, to give but one example, he headed up the commission of inquiry into DNA testing in Queensland. His findings were damning. DNA testing in that state is being overhauled from the ground up.

But here is a less high-profile story that suggests Sofronoff may get to the bottom of what went wrong before, during and after the Lehrmann trial.

It concerned two murderers who were to be considered for parole. One of them was 14 at the time of the murder; the other was 16. The Queensland government had introduced a law specifically aimed at them to ensure they not get parole. The case reached the High Court in 2007.

(continued)

#18282644 at 2023-02-04 11:09:19 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18235506
Legal threat over Brittany Higgins memoir

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 4, 2023

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Lawyers for Linda Reynolds have written to Brittany Higgins's publishers warning against any defamatory references to the former Liberal minister, saying they believe publication of Ms Higgins' memoir is imminent and seeking a copy of the manuscript.

Senator Reynolds's lawyers have sent a similar letter to the publishers of a planned book by journalist Samantha Maiden on sexual misconduct in Canberra.

In each case, the lawyers say Senator Reynolds has not been afforded a reasonable opportunity to answer any allegations against her.

Senator Reynolds told The Weekend Australian she had engaged experienced defamation lawyers to represent her.

"I hope it will not be necessary to take further steps to protect my reputation," she said, adding that she was paying the cost of any defamation actions out of her own pocket.

"For two years, I have been subjected to frequent and persistent unfair criticism, disparagement and defamatory comments by the media in relation to my handling of Ms Higgins's complaint.

"The content of many of those publications is derived directly from various public statements made by Ms Higgins to the media (in particular to Ms Maiden and Ms Lisa Wilkinson) and her evidence given during the criminal trial concerning my conduct.

"Ms Maiden and Ms Higgins have each demonstrated an inclination to comment on my conduct in an unbalanced manner, which has been both professionally and personally damaging to me and inconsistent with my recollection of key events and the evidence of my staff."

During the aborted rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann last year, it emerged that prominent author Peter FitzSimons had negotiated a $325,000 advance for Ms Higgins's book. Industry sources suggested publisher Penguin Random House hoped to sell at least 100,000 copies at $29.99 each.

Senator Reynolds's lawyers, WA legal firm Bennett, told The Weekend Australian: "Given the intense media scrutiny of our client since the first publication of Ms Higgins's story in February 2021 and the numerous defamatory articles published by various journalists and media outlets, our client has legitimate concerns that the (Higgins) book may contain allegations defamatory of her. Our client seeks to ensure that any report contained in the book is a fair report and that she has a reasonable opportunity to answer any matters of, and concerning, her in the book."

(continued)

#18275488 at 2023-02-03 09:58:29 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

>>18269047
Higgins DPP threatened me: trial witness

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 2, 2023

1/3

A key witness in the Bruce Lehrmann rape trial has accused the prosecutor of threatening and ?intimidating her as she left the witness box on a morning tea break, and of ignoring her pleas to be ?recalled to the stand to refute what she alleged was "blatantly false and misleading" evidence by Brittany Higgins.

Former Liberal staffer Fiona Brown says ACT Director of ?Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC and an associate berated her for providing "inadmissable evidence" and that Mr Drumgold then tried to use her mental health to discredit her as a witness.

In a formal complaint to the ACT Bar Association, Ms Brown alleges that, prior to the trial, Mr Drumgold was so dismissive of her concerns about the potential ?impact of the upcoming Logies - where TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson's interview with Ms Higgins was up for an award - that it caused her to break down emotionally during a conference with him.

The explosive allegations are expected to be referred to the board of inquiry established under jurist Walter Sofronoff KC to probe accusations of ?misconduct made against both police and prosecutors involved in the case.

The allegations follow a formal complaint of professional misconduct lodged by Mr Lehrmann against Mr Drumgold, revealed on Wednesday by The Australian, ?alleging the DPP failed to ensure a fair trial and was driven by malice and "political interests".

During the trial in the ACT Supreme Court last year Ms Higgins gave evidence that she felt pressured by her chief of staff, Ms Brown, and her boss, Liberal minister Linda Reynolds not to pursue the alleged assault, in the context of a looming federal election.

Ms Brown strongly denied in evidence that she had been ?anything but supportive of Ms Higgins, saying she and Senator Reynolds had told Ms Higgins she was within her rights to make a police complaint and would be fully ?supported.

But in her complaint lodged with the ACT Bar Association on December 21 last year, Ms Brown says that midway through giving her evidence she was "berated" by Mr Drumgold and felt "threatened and intimidated as a witness".

"At 11.16am a morning tea break was declared, as I left the witness box to make my way out of the courtroom, Mr Drumgold and his associate approached me and berated me, stating that I was coming close to providing inadmissable evidence because of the way I was answering the questions," Ms Brown wrote.

"I felt threatened and intimidated by their approach. The courtroom still had a lot of people in it and I was left humiliated."

Ms Brown says she returned to the witness box 20 minutes later "shaken by their admonishment of me". She gave evidence that in a meeting between the pair three days after the alleged rape, Ms Higgins initially denied anything had happened, but two days later volunteered that Mr Lehrmann had been on top of her while they were in Parliament House during the early hours of March 23, 2019.

"I said, 'Oh. Oh my god," Ms Brown testified. "I said, 'Are you all right? Has - has something happened you didn't want to have happen?' And she just sort of looks at me and sort of goes like this with her - so I can't say the word, but she's shaking her head as a 'no'."

During a meeting between Ms Brown, Ms Higgins and Senator Reynolds nine days after the alleged rape, the minister had made it clear Ms Higgins was entitled to make a complaint. "(Ms Higgins) was concerned about how this could impact her career and Senator Reynolds said there would be no impact to her career and that she had our full support," Ms Brown testified.

Ms Brown testified that she was the one who set up the meeting ?between Ms Higgins and Australian Federal Police officers in Parliament House in April 2019.

(continued)

#18269047 at 2023-02-02 08:25:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

'Professional misconduct': Lehrmann takes on ACT DPP

JANET ALBRECHTSEN and STEPHEN RICE - FEBRUARY 1, 2023

1/2

Bruce Lehrmann has lodged a formal complaint of professional misconduct against ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC, alleging Mr Drumgold failed to ensure a fair trial over the Brittany Higgins rape allegations and that his conduct was driven by malice and "political interests".

The explosive allegations are contained in a complaint to the ACT Bar Council and are expected to form the basis of a detailed submission to the Board of Inquiry led by eminent retired judge Walter Sofronoff KC.

The inquiry will examine whether the prosecutor or police failed to act in accordance with their duties and if so, their "reasons and motives" for their actions.

In his complaint, dated December 9 last year, Mr Lehrmann says: "It is apparent over the past number of days that the director continues to display professional misconduct by pursuing the matter through the media, despite him discontinuing the prosecution.

"His public behaviour continues to smear my name and the presumption of innocence that is a cornerstone of our justice system and that demands him to uphold.

"More importantly to me, he impugns the conduct of my legal team, who have been family to me and without them, I would not be here today."

Mr Lehrmann alleges Mr Drumgold "repeatedly and frequently" failed in his prosecutorial obligation to ensure a fair trial.

"I contend that his conduct was driven by malice towards me personally. I also consider that his conduct was political," he says.

"I take the view that the director's behaviour was consistent with a legal practitioner who was acting in the interests of a particular person, bolstered by political interests on the part of the director and possible third-party political interference, rather than in the overall interests of justice."

Mr Lehrmann says he has been living in Tasmania, "seeking respite for some time away from the aggressive media spotlight" at the recommendation of his clinical psychologist, but is prepared to return to Canberra to give evidence in any investigation.

A spokesman for Mr Lehrmann told The Australian on Wednesday that he welcomed the appointment of Mr Sofronoff as someone of significant and eminent standing to conduct the inquiry, and that he would co-operate "fully and openly" with the inquiry.

Mr Sofronoff, who previously served as solicitor-general for Queensland and president of the Queensland Court of Appeal, also led the Grantham Floods Inquiry in 2016 and the recent commission of inquiry into failings at the state's DNA testing laboratory.

Mr Lehrmann has not had a substantive response to his complaint to the ACT Bar Council, which details seven instances of alleged misconduct.

He claims Mr Drumgold's decision to prosecute was malicious and/or subject to political interference, citing an article in The Australian in December which revealed that the most senior police officer on the Higgins case believed there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Lehrmann but could not stop Mr Drumgold from proceeding because "there is too much political interference", according to diary notes made by the ACT Police Manager of Criminal Investigations, Detective Superintendent Scott Moller.

The Australian also revealed that Superintendent Moller had advised that investigators "have serious concerns in relation to the strength and reliability of (Ms Higgins') evidence but also more importantly her mental health and how any future prosecution may affect her wellbeing".

Those revelations came the day after Mr Drumgold withdrew the charges against Mr Lehrmann, citing concerns for Ms Higgins' mental health, and prompted demands for a public inquiry into the handling of the trial.

Concerns about the trial were further raised following publication of a letter Mr Drumgold sent to ACT police chief Neil Gaughan alleging "inappropriate interference" by police during the investigation and trial.

The circumstances in which that letter was released by Mr Drumgold under Freedom of Information laws - to The Guardian newspaper but withheld from other media outlets - will also be specifically investigated by the ?Sofronoff inquiry.

In his complaint, Mr Lehrmann further claims that Mr Drumgold failed to warn Ms Higgins that repeated public comment and conduct would undermine the integrity of the criminal trial.

Mr Lehrmann cites a speech Ms Higgins gave on the steps of the court.

Mr Lehrmann says his lawyers wrote to Mr Drumgold asking what he had done to have publications repeating the speech removed from circulation and what steps were proposed to ensure that Ms Higgins' conduct was not ?repeated.

Mr Drumgold's reply, he says, was "shocking".

(continued)

#18235506 at 2023-01-27 12:02:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

Liberal senator sues Higgins' partner over 'defamatory tweets'

Jesinta Burton - January 27, 2023

West Australian Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds has launched defamation action against Brittany Higgins' partner David Sharaz, after vowing to vindicate her reputation following the former Liberal staffer's rape allegations.

Reynolds' lawyers at Perth firm Bennett have filed a writ in WA's Supreme Court against Sharaz, claiming the former press gallery journalist posted two tweets last year that were falsely defamatory of her.

The former defence minister is now demanding damages, as well as aggravated damages, and wants an injunction preventing the material from ever seeing the light of day again.

With the trial of Higgins' accused aborted, and a $3 million compensation settlement reached between Higgins and the federal government, Reynolds told WAtoday she was now in a position to vindicate her reputation.

"For the best part of the last two years I have been the subject of harassing and highly distressing trolling on social media regarding myself and my conduct in respect of events concerning Ms Brittany Higgins which has damaged my reputation and caused me, my family and my staff, considerable stress and anguish," she said.

"In light of the conclusion of the criminal trial and the resolution of the civil action involving Ms Higgins and the Commonwealth, I am now at liberty to take steps to vindicate my reputation and provide some truth to the matters the subject of these trolling comments.

"I will not otherwise comment on the actions I have taken or that I intend to take."

Reynolds also wants Sharaz to foot the bill for the legal action.

Sharaz's Twitter account has since been deactivated.

Law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler, which confirmed it was advising Sharaz, told this masthead it would not be commenting at this stage.

Higgins, a former employee of Reynolds, claimed fellow staffer Bruce Lehrmann raped her in the then-cabinet minister's parliamentary office.

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and denied ever having sex with Higgins.

The high-profile criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct, and the charge later dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

But Reynolds found herself in the firing line amid the fallout over the government's response to Higgins' claims.

The lawsuit comes just weeks after Reynolds took action against publishing house HarperCollins and journalist Aaron Patrick, demanding a book detailing recent political controversies including Higgins' alleged rape be pulled from the shelves.

Reynolds is seeking aggravated damages over the contents of Patrick's book, Ego: Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party's Civil War, which she claims featured comments that were falsely defamatory of her and had caused her loss and damage.

The Australian Financial Review senior correspondent's book focused primarily on former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's campaign against his successor, Scott Morrison, and party infighting.

But the book also pored over the details of several of the Liberal Party's recent political controversies, including an entire chapter dedicated to Higgins' rape allegations against Lehrmann.

This masthead understands Reynolds' legal team intends to contest several passages in the book vigorously, including one which suggested Reynolds told Higgins that non-consensual sex was "the cost of being female".

https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/liberal-senator-sues-higgins-partner-over-defamatory-tweets-20230127-p5cfyr.html

#18046079 at 2022-12-31 08:46:22 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#26 - Part 11
Australian Politics and Society - Part 11
>>17996634 Bruce Lehrmann inquiry: Bring it on in full, and free from politics - "First and foremost, this inquiry must get to bottom of the truly disturbing claims raised by senior AFP officers in charge of the investigation that there was "too much political interference" in DPP Shane Drumgold's decision to prosecute Lehrmann." - Janet Albrechtsen - theaustralian.com.au
>>17996662 Alleged 'Mr Big' drug importer extradited to Australia from the Netherlands to face justice - Tse Chi Lop, "the El Chapo of Asia", alleged crime boss who headed a global enterprise suspected to have imported more drugs into Australia than any other syndicate in history
>>17996676 Queensland Police Officers were following up an outstanding warrant relating to firearms and a border breach by shooter Nathaniel Train, as well as a missing person report, when they attended the Wieambilla property last week, Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford reveals
>>17996696 Train family offered US sanctum before evil Queensland police killing - An American man with links to cop killers Gareth and Stacey Train claims the pair turned down an invitation to relocate in the US before carrying out a deadly ambush on Queensland Police officers
>>18002329 Experts question Qld police reluctance to label last week's killing of two young constables and a neighbour at Wieambilla a terrorist act
>>18002453 The Nuclear-Powered Submarine Taskforce - Australia's largest, and ultra-secret, defence project is fast taking shape behind closed doors
>>18007283 Inside Melbourne boxing gym with a neo-Nazi underbelly - Extremism experts have raised concerns about the presence of a child at a neo-Nazi event in Melbourne's north-west, saying it indicates far-right groups are indoctrinating children with hateful ideology during vulnerable periods in their intellectual development
>>18007288 Coaches at Legacy Boxing Gym in Melbourne's north-west will have their registrations suspended by the state's governing body for amateur boxing after the gym was found to have links to some of Victoria's most dangerous neo-Nazi activists

>>18012370 Space Force Guardians train with service members from Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom for potential conflict in Europe during large-scale 'Space Flag' exercise at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado
>>18022458 New missile system in line for Top End protection - Albanese government is considering purchasing mobile Naval Strike Missile launchers - "StrikeMaster" system can launch ship-killing NSMs over ranges of at least 250km, delivering a potent "area denial" capability protecting most of Australia's Top End
>>18029095 Former prime minister Scott Morrison one of many public figures stung in alleged security breach - A hacker has claimed to have obtained the data of 400 million Twitter users - Mr Morrison's parliamentary email address, username and phone number linked to his Twitter account were included in the information dump posted on a forum
>>18029276 Australian man killed 'defending the freedom of the Ukrainian people' - Australian man Sage O'Donnell has been killed fighting in Ukraine, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed
>>18029276 Q Post #4959 - What groups are financing Ukraine? Why are they financing Ukraine? Why was Hunter in Ukraine? What did 'Pop' threaten to withold from Ukraine? A billion dollars? Who benefits? What did 'Pop' receive in return? Why is Hunter not in jail? Think. Blackmail? Bribes? Extortion? Threats? How do you control a 'leader'? How do you control a country? Are you ready to take back control? Your vote matters. You have all the tools you need. Q - https://qanon.pub/#4959
>>18034687 Daniel Duggan background check may have raised red flags - The former US Marine fighter pilot accused of providing military training to Chinese pilots may have been flagged by Australian authorities after he applied for a job with a defence contractor involved in battle-training F18 pilots and transporting VIP defence personnel
>>18034769 Guardian Australia hacked, offices shut amid ransomware hit - Most of the Guardian Australia's offices remain closed after the media company's global arm was hit with a ransomware attack last week
>>18041006 Australian Federal police are managing at least 16 high-risk terrorist offenders living in the community, including through the use of electronic monitoring and by requiring them to attend rehabilitation programs and psychological counselling

#18046077 at 2022-12-31 08:45:51 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#26 - Part 10
Australian Politics and Society - Part 10
>>17985647 Kevin Rudd Tweet: I am greatly honoured by the Australian Government's decision to nominate me as our country's next Ambassador to the United States of America commencing in March.
>>17985647 Malcolm Turnbull Tweet: Congratulations Kevin - great appointment!
>>17985647 Malcolm Turnbull Tweet: I cannot think of any Australian with better connections than Rudd has in the Biden administration or with more influence on geopolitical issues in DC. He is also keenly aware of the external, and internal, threats to US democracy.
>>17985647 Q Post #479 - How much did AUS donate to CF? How much did SA donate to CF? Compare. Why is this relevant? What phone call between POTUS and X/AUS leaked? List the leadership in AUS. IDEN leadership during Hussein term. IDEN leadership during POTUS' term. Who controls AUS? Who really controls AUS? UK? Why is this relevant? Q - https://qanon.pub/#479
>>17985647 Q Post #908 - Which conversation leaked? POTUS & AUS? Why that specific conversation? Signal? We (they) hear what you are saying? Threat to AUS? Why? What do they know? Trapped? Forced? Blood. Q - https://qanon.pub/#908
>>17985647 Q Post #910 - Do not focus on the call details. We knew it would leak. We knew certain areas of the WH were bugged. We knew certain people would leak. Focus - why AUS? Q - https://qanon.pub/#910
>>17985668 Video: The Real Kevin Rudd - The real Kevin Rudd: a man despised by those who know him, who spent three years undermining Australia's first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. - Practicalpolitics, Jul 17, 2013
>>17985749 Australia Day work option is gathering steam - Some of the nation's biggest companies have begun offering their staff the opportunity to skip the Australia Day public holiday, in what advocates see as growing support for changing the date - Major companies including Telstra and Woodside Energy have introduced new policies allowing staff to work on January 26 and take off another day of their choosing instead
>>17985762 Inner-city Melbourne councils of Darebin and Yarra are planning their first Australian citizenship ceremonies in five years after rules relaxed by the Albanese government - It was a requirement under the Turnbull and Morrison governments for councils to hold a citizenship ceremony on Australia Day, or have their right to host any ceremony revoked

>>17985766 Betrayal of our national day a shame on Labor - "The decision effectively to abandon the defence of Australia Day on January 26 is one of the worst and saddest moments in modern Australia. And it's surely among the worst decisions of the new Labor government." - Greg Sheridan - theaustralian.com.au
>>17985863 Queensland Police Union plan to buy Wieambilla property where two officers were killed in ambush - Union president Ian Leavers said he did not want the land to "fall into the wrong hands" - "The last thing we want to see is the anti-vaxxers, pro-gun, conspiracy theorists to get this land and use it for their own warped and dangerous views" - Sarah Richards - abc.net.au
>>17985903 Video: Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell found guilty of brutal assault on Channel 9 security guard - A court has rejected Thomas Sewell's claims of self-defence from when he repeatedly belted a Channel 9 security guard outside the network's Docklands studios
>>17991015 Kevin Rudd's appointment as next ambassador to Washington broadly welcomed in the US capital on both sides of the political spectrum as an experienced foreign policy and China expert
>>17991052 Albanese's captain's pick: An inspired choice or just Ruddy risky? - Kevin Rudd faces a cautious reception from the Biden administration over his criticism of the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal and a potential backlash from Republicans for his attacks on Donald Trump when he arrives in Washington
>>17991056 Kevin Rudd Tweet: Donald Trump is a traitor to the West. Murdoch was Trump's biggest backer. And Murdoch's Fox Television backs Putin too. What rancid treachery.
>>17991061 Bruce Lehrmann asks Bar Association to investigate alleged misconduct by prosecutor 0 Bruce Lehrmann has personally written to the ACT Bar Association with a letter of complaint outlining several elements of serious misconduct he alleges against ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC
>>17991078 Wieambilla murders: Thousands of police officers form a sombre guard of honour to farewell slain constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, after the pair were remembered as bright, adored and courageous young people who ran towards danger to protect the community
>>17996604 Bruce Lehrmann's lawyers send legal letters to Network Ten and News Corp over their coverage of rape allegations aired by his former colleague, Brittany Higgins

#18046073 at 2022-12-31 08:44:58 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#26 - Part 8
Australian Politics and Society - Part 8
>>17879090 A ruthless Thai vigilante wants to retire in Australia - Victims and activists are petitioning the Australian government to deny Rienthong Nanna the ability to retire in Perth - They say he has engaged in and encouraged hate speech, and supported the pursuit of critics of the monarchy throughout Thailand and internationally "whatever the consequences"
>>17884757 Video: Rupert Murdoch will be deposed as part of election technology company Dominion Voting Systems' $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News - The Fox Corp chairman is the highest-profile individual to be questioned in the case, which hinges on Fox's coverage of the 2020 presidential election
>>17884763 Australia and the United States deepen their already "unbreakable" military alliance by announcing plans to accelerate Canberra's push to secure precision-guided missiles and expand the American military presence in the Top End
>>17884784 Will US supply Australia with AUKUS subs? 'That's not going to happen,' key US lawmaker says - The US should take the "next Virginia class that's built, designate that to the Australian AOR, and [say] we're going to dual-crew it with Australian sailors and US sailors," Rep. Rob Wittman tells Breaking Defense
>>17884800 RAAF Chief Robert Chipman's visit to United States sparks renewed speculation Australia could purchase nuclear-capable B-21 Raiders
>>17884803 Space Force Director of Staff Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno travels to Australia to meet with members of Australia Space Operations
>>17906295 AUKUS members say plans on track for US and UK to help Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarine fleet - Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says Australia will be able to acquire nuclear-powered submarines by the deadline set out in the AUKUS alliance
>>17922492 Australia's 'indispensable' partnership with Japan could see it join AUKUS pact as strategic links grow - Defence Minister Richard Marles declares security ties between Tokyo and Canberra were becoming "indispensable"
>>17927414 Scathing letter alleging police and political interference in Bruce Lehrmann trial made public - A dispute between the ACT's chief prosecutor and the territory's Police force continuing, with the public release of a letter alleging interference in the now-abandoned rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann

>>17933898 Police shoot three dead after two police murdered in execution-style shooting in Wieambilla, Queensland - Two young police officers who were murdered in an execution-style killing on Monday "didn't stand a chance," Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll has said as she paid tribute to the fallen officers
>>17933944 Brothers Nathaniel and Gareth Train identified as gunmen in Queensland siege - Two brothers Nathaniel Train and Gareth (Gavin) Train were shot dead by police during a siege at a property in Queensland's Western Downs
>>17933975 Police shooting: Slain NSW teacher Nathaniel Train made complaints about college - A missing NSW primary school teacher involved in the murder of three people, including two Queensland police officers, had made a number of complaints about a troubled majority Aboriginal student college in northern NSW
>>17934061 Queensland shooting: Gunman Gareth Train was a conspiracy theorist - A gunman who killed two police officers in a shootout in western Queensland on Monday had posted conspiracy theories online including that the Port Arthur massacre was faked by government to enable a crackdown on gun ownership
>>17939637 Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins settles personal injury claim against the Commonwealth - Dollar value of the settlement will remain confidential
>>17939657 Ready-made nuclear subs still a stop-gap option for Australia - Senior US Democratic Congressman Joe Courtney, Chair of the House Seapower Subcommittee says Australia should not give up hope of purchasing nuclear-powered submarines off-the-shelf from the United States
>>17939893 'Not just at the pointy end': Calls for renewed focus on conspiracy threats - Experts are calling for renewed national focus on the potential violent threat posed by elements of Australia's conspiratorial fringe, after the killing of two police and their alleged attackers in regional Queensland - "Elise Thomas, a senior analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, said the uncertainties of the pandemic and frustration at government responses to it had exposed many people to conspiracy theories for the first time."
>>17946322 Prototype for "game-changing" unmanned Australian submarine designed to undertake stealth missions throughout the Indo-Pacific unveiled at top-secret ceremony in Sydney
>>17946412 Child attends neo-Nazi meeting in Melbourne organised by European Australia Movement - Shocking images have revealed a young child posing for photos at a secret, national neo-Nazi meeting in Melbourne.

#18046071 at 2022-12-31 08:44:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#26 - Part 7
Australian Politics and Society - Part 7
>>17783706 Australian academic Sean Turnell freed by Myanmar junta after more than 20 months in custody
>>17798811 Australia's Fair Work Commission rules that Svitzer Australia, subsidiary of Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk, must scrap plans for lockout of harbor tug workers, threatening to cause widespread disruption at Australian ports
>>17800549 French President Emmanuel Macron launches torpedo at AUKUS pact - French President Emmanuel Macron has sought to undermine the AUKUS pact just five months after he and Anthony Albanese patched up relations between their countries, declaring Australia's nuclear submarine deal with the US and UK "will not deliver"
>>17801807 Video: Friendly Jordies's House Firebombed
>>17803991 Controversial YouTube comedian Jordan Shanks-Markovina, better known as Friendlyjordies, is taking an "indefinite hiatus" from producing videos after his home in Sydney's eastern suburbs was set on fire in what police believe was a deliberate arson attack this week
>>17804013 'Invest for tomorrow's war,' says Austin - US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin says Australia and other allies need to reallocate their resources to fight the wars of tomorrow, with investments in advanced technologies a priority for any modern military
>>17807117 Video: US Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy says the world's transition to clean power and technology has the potential to elevate Australia as a global leader in the mining of critical minerals, lithium, rare earths and nickel
>>17807269 Islamic State kingpin Neil Prakash to be returned to Australia to face terrorism charges that could lead to him being jailed for life
>>17827645 'Hope always defeats hate': Labor's Daniel Andrews returned as premier in 2022 Victoria state election - Despite 'incredibly challenging' few years negotiating Covid, Labor cruises to victory, while the Greens and Nationals gain seats

>>17832788 Video: ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess announces Australia's terror threat level being lowered from "probable" to "possible" for first time since 2014
>>17857908 'Big deal': World leaders head to Sydney in bid to push back on China - Three of the world's most powerful leaders - US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida - will travel to Sydney next year for a historic summit with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
>>17857918 US Rear Admiral Richard Seif raises closer submarine ties under nuclear deal - The man in charge of the US Navy's submarines in Asia and the Pacific says America is willing and able to substantially expand its ties with its Australian submarine counterparts as the country prepares to enter the world of nuclear-powered subs
>>17857927 US Military Chiefs Say Australia Key to Space Rivalry With China - US Space Force's Lt. General Nina M. Armagno and US Space Command Deputy Commander Lt. General John E. Shaw say Australia is a critical asset for the US in the growing strategic competition with China over space
>>17858006 Bruce Lehrmann retrial to be dropped over Brittany Higgins health fears - medical evidence a second trial scheduled for February would pose an unacceptable risk to Ms Higgins and her mental wellbeing
>>17862843 Judge orders extradition of alleged Islamic State terrorist Neil Prakash from Darwin to Melbourne to face terrorism-related charges
>>17862857 Bruce Lehrmann retrial dropped over Brittany Higgins health fears - Charges against the man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins at Parliament House have been dropped and Bruce Lehrmann's retrial will no longer proceed - "It is no longer in the public interest to pursue prosecution with the risk to the complainant's life."
>>17869625 Police doubted Brittany Higgins but case was 'political' - The most senior police officer on the Brittany Higgins case believed there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Bruce Lehrmann but could not stop the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions from proceeding because "there is too much political interference"
>>17874286 Australian nuclear subs high priority for US - Delivering Australia nuclear submarines "as early as possible" was high on the US government's agenda as it braced for an intense period of competition with China, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin vowed after unveiling the next generation of US stealth bombers
>>17879013 Brittany Higgins seeking $3 million in compensation claim - Lawyers for former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins have given notice that they will sue former Liberal ministers Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash as well as the Commonwealth for about $3 million

#18046069 at 2022-12-31 08:44:07 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #27: THEY ARE IN FULL BLOWN PANIC MODE Edition

#26 - Part 6
Australian Politics and Society - Part 6
>>17619926 US, UK defence chiefs back AUKUS expansion, more security for nuclear submarines in Australia - Australia's 'unbreakable alliance' with the United States could be strengthened with the deployment of more US military personnel here in addition to securing a nuclear submarine fleet as part of the AUKUS pact
>>17623791 Islamic State women and children to be returned to Australia from Syrian camps - Australia is preparing to overturn its policy of more than three years and launch a mission to repatriate dozens of women and children, the family members of former Islamic State fighters who have been languishing for years in squalid detention camps in Syria
>>17623808 Submarine commanders to be Australian made - The navy is preparing to train the next generation of submarine commanders at home as Australia seeks to bolster its military prowess ahead of the arrival of the nuclear vessels
>>17629611 Telstra staff suffer data breach as names and email addresses uploaded to dark web forum - Telstra has become the latest telco to be managing a breach of data after thousands of staff members' personal data was uploaded to a forum on the dark web
>>17629614 Police officer son of former senator Kristina Keneally charged with fabricating evidence - Constable Daniel Keneally, 24, investigated by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) over an incident on February 24 2021 - Charged with one offence of fabricating false evidence with the intent to mislead any judicial tribunal after advice was sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
>>17629620 Trial of Brittany Higgins's alleged rapist Bruce Lehrmann begins in ACT Supreme Court - A former Liberal Party staffer told police she cried as she was allegedly raped in Parliament House, and said no at least half a dozen times
>>17629655 Video: Royal Australian Navy - Submariner Command Course - The Royal Australian Navy has conducted its inaugural Submarine Course on 16 April 2022, after decades of reliance on allied navies for training and assessing submarine commanders - Defence Australia

>>17637158 Islamic State brides will be detained on arrival from Syria - Women brought back from Islamic State detention camps in Syria will likely be detained immediately upon arrival in Australia - The Australian understands the 16 women expect to either be charged or face court for the purposes of making a terrorism control order
>>17699234 Caroline Kennedy: We must not shy away from climate challenge
>>17701292 Video: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed Australia is preparing to ramp up support for his nation's war against Russia by announcing a new tranche of military assistance, including donations of heavy weapons.
>>17701293 Video: A special address by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy - Lowy Institute, Oct 6, 2022
>>17701294 Australia considers sending Defence staff to train Ukrainian troops
>>17701300 Paul Keating trashes Quad 'nonsense' and pleads: get us out of AUKUS - Former prime minister Paul Keating says the US is "exceptionally ungrateful" to allies like Australia who have long been loyal, urging Canberra to "walk away" from the AUKUS security agreement scheduled to deliver the nation a nuclear submarine capability
>>17701302 Video: Ideas and Society | Australia and China: A conversation with Paul Keating - La Trobe University, Oct 18, 2022
>>17701303 Paul Keating slammed as out of step on Quad, AUKUS - Defence Minister Richard Marles distanced the government from the comments but stopped short of condemning Mr Keating, whom he said had "every right to articulate those views"

#16701673 at 2022-07-10 01:18:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

#23 and #24 - Part 6
Australian Politics and Society - Part 6
>>16481839 Sri Lanka commits to fighting asylum-seeker boat surge as Clare O'Neil meets leaders
>>16481860 Anthony Albanese's NATO trip must include a visit to Ukraine - Peter Jennings - theaustralian.com.au
>>16481901 Melbourne man Dennis Basic jailed for more than two years over assaults at anti-lockdown protests
>>16482015 Daniel Andrews introduces a LAW instructing schools to teach students about the 'trauma' of white colonisation and to mark the day Kevin Rudd said sorry to the Stolen Generation
>>16487741 From Rose Bay to riot squad raid: police target alleged Dark Web dealers - Two Sydney brothers, Alexander Busse an Ioan Busu, enjoyed stellar reviews for their alleged large-scale online drug business, sending up to 60 deliveries a day that police say earned them millions
>>16487757 Victoria parliament passes bill banning Nazi symbol, with offenders facing up to a year in jail
>>16493231 Judge urges Lisa Wilkinson not to make further comments about Brittany Higgins as Bruce Lehrmann's trial date delayed until October
>>16493239 Deputy Premier James Merlino among four senior Victorian ministers set to retire at the November state election
>>16493249 Peter Dutton continues attack on Greens leader Adam Bandt - Peter Dutton blasts Greens leader Adam Bandt over his decision not to stand in front of the Australian flag
>>16493257 Rear Admiral Dave Goggins to Lead American AUKUS Effort, Says Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro - The admiral who oversees U.S. attack submarine construction has been appointed to lead the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership that promises to develop a nuclear-powered attack boat for the Royal Australian Navy

>>16493269 Royal commission hears of 'ad hoc and inconsistent' suicide reporting as Australian Defence Force Chief, General Angus Campbell testifies
>>16495229 Glencore Australia riding energy crunch to record mining profitsin the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict
>>16499225 Four of Victoria's most senior government ministers will resign at the next election and have stepped down from their portfolios ahead of the November vote - Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino, Health Minister Martin Foley, Police Minister Lisa Neville and Sports Minister Martin Pakula
>>16499242 Twitter hands over @PRGuy17 account and IP details following court order - Avi Yemini wants Telstra to provide information on 26 IP addresses as part of defamation case against anonymous pro-Labor account
>>16499269 User behind pro-Labor Twitter account PRGuy publicly reveals identity - "Jeremy Maluta"
>>16499308 PRGuy Tweet: Hi, I'm Jeremy Maluta. You may remember me from such hashtags as #IStandWithDan and #ICantBelieveItsNotAStaffer. I caught up with FriendlyJordies so I could finally meet you all face-to-face. Enjoy! #PRGuyUnmasked
>>16499339 Video: PRGuy Unmasked - Australia's most wanted man PRGuy has finally been unmaksed, but not by Avi Yemini. Is he a Dictator Dan staffer? Is he paid by the WHO? All will be revealed. - friendlyjordies
>>16499429 Q Post #1713 - The author of the post..... - The face is never the author. - Direct comms come in many different forms. - Q
>>16500413 United States Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision which recognised Americans' constitutional right to abortion and legalised it nationwide, handing a momentous victory to Republicans and religious conservatives who want to limit or ban the procedure
>>16503174 US braces for riots after court strikes down right to abortion - The US is bracing for mass riots after the Supreme Court reversed its historic 1973 Roe V Wade judgement, abolishing the constitutional right to abortion and returning the decision to the fifty states, at least 13 of which appear poised to drastically curtail abortion rights
>>16500413 Q Post #3405 - Reality is hard to swallow. FAKE NEWS keeps you asleep (sheep) and fixed in a pre_designed false reality (narrative). Google altering search results to 'support' the pre_designed narrative and 'prevent' (make harder) for one to learn the TRUTH? Those (w/ influence) who challenge the narrative are banned, shunned, threatened......... [Planned Parenthood is GOOD]_narrative - [China is NOT a threat]_narrative - Do you know the market price for a fetus? Correlation of market price & days old of fetus/baby? As age (days) increases so does the value? https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-to-vote-on-born-alive-bill-to-protect-infants-who-survive-a-failed-abortion - D's block 'born alive' bill? Planned Parenthood political donations? What party? Do you believe this has anything to do w/ a Woman's Right to Choose? Welcome to the Real World. Q

#16701669 at 2022-07-10 01:17:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research Australia #25: My Koala Hates Spam Too Edition

#23 and #24 - Part 5
Australian Politics and Society - Part 5
>>16449749 Media personality, politician, actor, journalist and author Derryn Hinch announces plan to run for Victorian parliament
>>16449772 'Combat credible' US marines train on NT's Tiwi Islands as US continues focus on Indo-Pacific region - Exercise Darrandarra 2022
>>16454385 Video: Dr Kerry Sieh, scientist who predicted Boxing Day tsunami says another disaster is coming - 60 Minutes Australia
>>16454386 BHP announces plans to close NSW's largest coal mine at Mt Arthur by 2030
>>16455235 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invites Anthony Albanese to visit Kyiv when he is in Europe for the annual NATO summit later this month
>>16461326 Video: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to consider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to visit Kyiv
>>16461375 Russia sanctions hundreds of Australians including journalists - Russia's Foreign Ministry has sanctioned a broad list of 121 Australian media executives, mining bosses, academics, defence officials and journalists, citing the "Russophobic agenda" from the individuals named
>>16461400 New U.S. Bill Would Allow Australian Sailors to Train With the U.S. Navy - Up to two Royal Australian Navy officers per year could attend the U.S. Navy's Submarine Officer Basic Course, then deploy on a U.S. Navy submarine - The move would help facilitate important knowledge from the United States Navy to the Royal Australian Navy as the country begins pursuing a nuclear submarine program
>>16461444 New AUKUS Caucus Bill Calls for U.S.-Australia Submarine Training Pipeline - A bipartisan group of House lawmakers unveil legislation that would help the Royal Australian Navy train its future submarine warfare officers with U.S. sailors
>>16466717 New info on AUKUS sub deal 'shortly': US National Security Council's Kurt Campbell - Campbell, the NSC's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the US will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, including initiatives to build new embassies

>>16471580 Video: ADF kicks off election support to PNG - Australian Defence Force personnel deployed on Operation Kimba touch down in Papua New Guinea to provide support for the country's upcoming national election, at the request of the PNG Government
>>16476383 Donald Trump's former ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Jr., acting as top legal adviser to a key witness for the January 6th commission - Greg Jacob, chief legal counsel to former Vice President Mike Pence
>>16476399 Greens leader Adam Bandt has Australian flag removed from press conference, argues the symbol is 'hurtful' to Indigenous people - Greens leader Adam Bandt has refused to stand in front of the Australian flag during a press conference, arguing it is "hurtful" to Indigenous people and that the country has "work to do" combatting racism
>>16476449 Gladys Liu eyes seat in Victorian parliament - Former federal MP Gladys Liu has confirmed her nomination for Liberal Party preselection to contest a Victorian upper house seat and claimed her ultra-marginal seat of Chisholm was "unfairly targeted" in the election
>>16476467 Swimming's world governing body, FINA, votes to restrict transgender women's participation in elite swimming competitions
>>16476493 'Shame on everyone': Top Australian swimmers divided on FINA's decision to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women's swimming
>>16476515 Swimming transgender vote: Caitlin Jenner celebrates FINA's decision, Hannah Mouncey's dark revelation
>>16476580 Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide hears of wait for psychiatrist appointments, hazing at Townsville base
>>16481772 Judge takes aim at Lisa Wilkinson's mention of Brittany Higgins in Logies speech as Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial delayed
>>16481793 Greens leader Adam Bandt refuses to stand with Australian flag - Adam Bandt's refusal to stand in front of the Australian flaghas been labelled divisive and "childish virtue-signalling" by Indigenous community leaders, who say it is contrary to the spirit of reconciliation

#16655170 at 2022-07-07 08:35:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #24: TRUMP CARD COMING Edition

#23 - Part 6
Australian Politics and Society - Part 6
>>16481839 Sri Lanka commits to fighting asylum-seeker boat surge as Clare O'Neil meets leaders
>>16481860 Anthony Albanese's NATO trip must include a visit to Ukraine - Peter Jennings - theaustralian.com.au
>>16481901 Melbourne man Dennis Basic jailed for more than two years over assaults at anti-lockdown protests
>>16482015 Daniel Andrews introduces a LAW instructing schools to teach students about the 'trauma' of white colonisation and to mark the day Kevin Rudd said sorry to the Stolen Generation
>>16487741 From Rose Bay to riot squad raid: police target alleged Dark Web dealers - Two Sydney brothers, Alexander Busse an Ioan Busu, enjoyed stellar reviews for their alleged large-scale online drug business, sending up to 60 deliveries a day that police say earned them millions
>>16487757 Victoria parliament passes bill banning Nazi symbol, with offenders facing up to a year in jail
>>16493231 Judge urges Lisa Wilkinson not to make further comments about Brittany Higgins as Bruce Lehrmann's trial date delayed until October
>>16493239 Deputy Premier James Merlino among four senior Victorian ministers set to retire at the November state election
>>16493249 Peter Dutton continues attack on Greens leader Adam Bandt - Peter Dutton blasts Greens leader Adam Bandt over his decision not to stand in front of the Australian flag
>>16493257 Rear Admiral Dave Goggins to Lead American AUKUS Effort, Says Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro - The admiral who oversees U.S. attack submarine construction has been appointed to lead the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership that promises to develop a nuclear-powered attack boat for the Royal Australian Navy

>>16493269 Royal commission hears of 'ad hoc and inconsistent' suicide reporting as Australian Defence Force Chief, General Angus Campbell testifies
>>16495229 Glencore Australia riding energy crunch to record mining profitsin the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict
>>16499225 Four of Victoria's most senior government ministers will resign at the next election and have stepped down from their portfolios ahead of the November vote - Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino, Health Minister Martin Foley, Police Minister Lisa Neville and Sports Minister Martin Pakula
>>16499242 Twitter hands over @PRGuy17 account and IP details following court order - Avi Yemini wants Telstra to provide information on 26 IP addresses as part of defamation case against anonymous pro-Labor account
>>16499269 User behind pro-Labor Twitter account PRGuy publicly reveals identity - "Jeremy Maluta"
>>16499308 PRGuy Tweet: Hi, I'm Jeremy Maluta. You may remember me from such hashtags as #IStandWithDan and #ICantBelieveItsNotAStaffer. I caught up with FriendlyJordies so I could finally meet you all face-to-face. Enjoy! #PRGuyUnmasked
>>16499339 Video: PRGuy Unmasked - Australia's most wanted man PRGuy has finally been unmaksed, but not by Avi Yemini. Is he a Dictator Dan staffer? Is he paid by the WHO? All will be revealed. - friendlyjordies
>>16499429 Q Post #1713 - The author of the post..... - The face is never the author. - Direct comms come in many different forms. - Q
>>16500413 United States Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision which recognised Americans' constitutional right to abortion and legalised it nationwide, handing a momentous victory to Republicans and religious conservatives who want to limit or ban the procedure
>>16503174 US braces for riots after court strikes down right to abortion - The US is bracing for mass riots after the Supreme Court reversed its historic 1973 Roe V Wade judgement, abolishing the constitutional right to abortion and returning the decision to the fifty states, at least 13 of which appear poised to drastically curtail abortion rights
>>16500413 Q Post #3405 - Reality is hard to swallow. FAKE NEWS keeps you asleep (sheep) and fixed in a pre_designed false reality (narrative). Google altering search results to 'support' the pre_designed narrative and 'prevent' (make harder) for one to learn the TRUTH? Those (w/ influence) who challenge the narrative are banned, shunned, threatened......... [Planned Parenthood is GOOD]_narrative - [China is NOT a threat]_narrative - Do you know the market price for a fetus? Correlation of market price & days old of fetus/baby? As age (days) increases so does the value? https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-to-vote-on-born-alive-bill-to-protect-infants-who-survive-a-failed-abortion - D's block 'born alive' bill? Planned Parenthood political donations? What party? Do you believe this has anything to do w/ a Woman's Right to Choose? Welcome to the Real World. Q

#16655168 at 2022-07-07 08:34:42 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #24: TRUMP CARD COMING Edition

#23 - Part 5
Australian Politics and Society - Part 5
>>16449749 Media personality, politician, actor, journalist and author Derryn Hinch announces plan to run for Victorian parliament
>>16449772 'Combat credible' US marines train on NT's Tiwi Islands as US continues focus on Indo-Pacific region - Exercise Darrandarra 2022
>>16454385 Video: Dr Kerry Sieh, scientist who predicted Boxing Day tsunami says another disaster is coming - 60 Minutes Australia
>>16454386 BHP announces plans to close NSW's largest coal mine at Mt Arthur by 2030
>>16455235 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invites Anthony Albanese to visit Kyiv when he is in Europe for the annual NATO summit later this month
>>16461326 Video: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to consider Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to visit Kyiv
>>16461375 Russia sanctions hundreds of Australians including journalists - Russia's Foreign Ministry has sanctioned a broad list of 121 Australian media executives, mining bosses, academics, defence officials and journalists, citing the "Russophobic agenda" from the individuals named
>>16461400 New U.S. Bill Would Allow Australian Sailors to Train With the U.S. Navy - Up to two Royal Australian Navy officers per year could attend the U.S. Navy's Submarine Officer Basic Course, then deploy on a U.S. Navy submarine - The move would help facilitate important knowledge from the United States Navy to the Royal Australian Navy as the country begins pursuing a nuclear submarine program
>>16461444 New AUKUS Caucus Bill Calls for U.S.-Australia Submarine Training Pipeline - A bipartisan group of House lawmakers unveil legislation that would help the Royal Australian Navy train its future submarine warfare officers with U.S. sailors
>>16466717 New info on AUKUS sub deal 'shortly': US National Security Council's Kurt Campbell - Campbell, the NSC's coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs, said the US will launch a new effort next week to help the Pacific islands, including initiatives to build new embassies

>>16471580 Video: ADF kicks off election support to PNG - Australian Defence Force personnel deployed on Operation Kimba touch down in Papua New Guinea to provide support for the country's upcoming national election, at the request of the PNG Government
>>16476383 Donald Trump's former ambassador to Australia, Arthur Culvahouse Jr., acting as top legal adviser to a key witness for the January 6th commission - Greg Jacob, chief legal counsel to former Vice President Mike Pence
>>16476399 Greens leader Adam Bandt has Australian flag removed from press conference, argues the symbol is 'hurtful' to Indigenous people - Greens leader Adam Bandt has refused to stand in front of the Australian flag during a press conference, arguing it is "hurtful" to Indigenous people and that the country has "work to do" combatting racism
>>16476449 Gladys Liu eyes seat in Victorian parliament - Former federal MP Gladys Liu has confirmed her nomination for Liberal Party preselection to contest a Victorian upper house seat and claimed her ultra-marginal seat of Chisholm was "unfairly targeted" in the election
>>16476467 Swimming's world governing body, FINA, votes to restrict transgender women's participation in elite swimming competitions
>>16476493 'Shame on everyone': Top Australian swimmers divided on FINA's decision to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women's swimming
>>16476515 Swimming transgender vote: Caitlin Jenner celebrates FINA's decision, Hannah Mouncey's dark revelation
>>16476580 Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide hears of wait for psychiatrist appointments, hazing at Townsville base
>>16481772 Judge takes aim at Lisa Wilkinson's mention of Brittany Higgins in Logies speech as Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial delayed
>>16481793 Greens leader Adam Bandt refuses to stand with Australian flag - Adam Bandt's refusal to stand in front of the Australian flaghas been labelled divisive and "childish virtue-signalling" by Indigenous community leaders, who say it is contrary to the spirit of reconciliation

#16493231 at 2022-06-23 09:56:54 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

>>16481772
Judge urges Lisa Wilkinson not to make further comments about Brittany Higgins as Bruce Lehrmann's trial date delayed until October

Elizabeth Byrne - 23 June 2022

Journalist Lisa Wilkinson and others in the media have been given until the close of business tomorrow to agree not to make further public comments about the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.

Bruce Lehrmann, who has pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime, was to have gone on trial next week.

But the ACT's Chief Justice Lucy McCallum deferred that plan after a storm of publicity in the wake of a speech by Wilkinson at the Logie Awards.

Wilkinson won an award for an interview with Ms Higgins.

Chief Justice McCallum said in the commentary that followed, the right of the presumption of innocence had been overlooked.

Today, the court heard Wilkinson and her employer, Network 10 and others had indicated they were now prepared to offer written undertakings not to make further public comments.

The ACT's Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Drumgold, told the court as long as the undertakings were received he would not seek an injunction against Wilkinson and the others involved.

He said the undertakings would acknowledge the issues in the trial were subjudice and that any breach would be a contempt of court.

Chief Justice McCallum also said even wider discussions about the issues raised by the allegation could be problematic.

"Even the discussion of a workplace culture has to do a delicate dance," she told the court.

She added it would be very difficult to have that discussion without suggesting the allegation was true.

"I think it would be a masterpiece of rhetoric and subtlety to avoid breaking the rules," Chief Justice McCallum said.

Judge allows three-month delay, rejects request for six-week trial

Chief Justice McCallum said the three months until the trial should allow the issue to fade in the minds of jurors.

But Mr Lehrmann's lawyer, Stephen Whybrow, expressed concern, saying he would like a trial date next year.

"The bushfire is still burning, in effect," he told the court.

But Justice McCallum refused, saying it was the proximity of the media attention so close to the trial that led to it being postponed.

"The problem [was] that ... few people could have failed to connect her name with the publicity about a true story," she said.

She also rejected Mr Whybrow's application to set aside six weeks for the trial.

"I don't see how a single incident with a single complainant could take that time," she told the court.

The court was also told there were about five books currently being written about the case, by authors including journalists Samantha Maiden, Nikki Savva and Peter Van Onselen.

The court heard they would also be contacted about restrictions until the trial is over.

The new trial date is set for October 4.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-23/Bruce-Lehrmann-trial-delayed-october-lisa-wilkinson-logies/101176384

#16481772 at 2022-06-21 09:47:50 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #23: HOUSE OF CARDS Edition

Judge takes aim at Lisa Wilkinson's mention of Brittany Higgins in Logies speech as Bruce Lehrmann's rape trial delayed

Elizabeth Byrne - 21 June 2022

ACT Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucy McCallum has agreed, "through gritted teeth", to delay the trial of the man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

Bruce Lehrmann is accused of sexually assaulting Ms Higgins inside an office in Parliament House in 2019.

He was charged last year after Ms Higgins went to police, and has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Lehrmann was preparing to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court over the alleged rape next week.

But Chief Justice McCallum said today the landscape had changed since a speech by journalist Lisa Wilkinson at the Logies about her interview with Ms Higgins.

The decision came after Mr Lehrmann's lawyers successfully argued the speech and the intense media and social media response that followed would prevent him from getting a fair trial.

Chief Justice McCallum agreed, saying much of the material had obliterated the distinction between an allegation and guilt.

She took particular aim at Ms Wilkinson who won a Logie for her interview of Ms Higgins.

Distinction between allegation and guilt was lost, Chief Justice says

The court heard there had been a briefing between Ms Wilkinson and the prosecutors last week, when she raised the matter of her nomination for a Gold Logie.

Part of the evidence included an exchange where the Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold warned her that the defence might use anything she said to reinstate a stay application.

Chief Justice McCallum said instead Ms Wilkinson openly referred to Ms Higgins, praising her courage.

She said comments made on the radio by Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones had assumed the rape had occurred, despite the fact there had been no trial.

Chief Justice McCallum said there was no way of knowing the full impact on the public.

"The distinction between an allegation and the fact of guilt has been lost," she said.

She also noted the irony that the discussion about an important debate about the lack of justice for women had evolved into the single biggest impediment to just that.

"The delay serves the interests of no-one," Chief Justice McCallum said.

"Unfortunately the recent publicity does change the landscape."

She said she was not satisfied any directions to a jury could help the situation and that the only option was to temporarily vacate the trial.

The case will be back in court on Thursday, when the prosecution is considering making an application for a restraint on commentary by Ms Wilkinson, The Project, Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones, and Ms Higgins, ahead of the trial.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-21/act-Bruce-Lehrmann-granted-temporary-stay-delaying-trial/101170550

#16040654 at 2022-04-09 05:19:40 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #22: THIS IS NOT ANOTHER 3-YEAR ELECTION Edition

#21 - Part 9
Australian Politics and Society - Part 9
>>15975097 $10b will buy Australia 'strike back' power against cyber enemies: Australian Signals Directorate Director-General Rachel Noble
>>15975106 Australian Federal Police launch election security task force to ensure the security of MPs and candidates during the upcoming federal election
>>15981603 LIVE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses Australian Parliament - ABC News (Australia) - 31 March 2022
>>15981807 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stuns with Australian Parliament address
>>15981852 Threats from rogue states and crims rising: Australian Signals Directorate head Rachel Noble
>>15989158 Video: Volodymyr Zelenskyy asks for Australian Bushmaster armoured vehicles in address to federal parliament
>>15989255 Video: 'Remember MH17', Volodymyr Zelensky tells Australian parliament in historic address
>>15989480 Bruce Lehrmann, the man charged with raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, has applied for his trial to be permanently halted in the ACT Supreme Court
>>15989529 Leftist warriors pick and choose their moments of outrage - Chris Kenny - theaustralian.com.au
>>15989620 Labor hypocrisy on Solomons deal tests friendship - Kevin Rudd reckons the Solomons is taking China's cash because it's dissatisfied with our climate change stance. Does he realise that's at odds with Richard Marles' comments? - 'The Mocker' - theaustralian.com.au
>>15994515 Australia to sign trade deal with India as Coalition clears decks for election

>>15994538 Video: Australia-India trade agreement has opened one of 'the biggest economic doors': Prime Minister Scott Morrison - Sky News Australia
>>15995708 AUKUS submarine deal gets a boost in US Congress - Senior US politicians form AUKUS Working Group, solely dedicated to advancing the three-way alliance between America, Britain and Australia.
>>16008490 Video: Peter Gutwein quits politics leaving Tasmanian Liberals to pick new Premier
>>16008495 Video: Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has announced he is resigning from politics - Mr Gutwein, 57, says the "time is right" to pursue other interests
>>16014964 Defence Minister Peter Dutton puts new strike force on fast track - Australian fighter jets and naval vessels will be armed sooner with new long-range strike missiles
>>16014984 How AUKUS has brought an alliance revolution to Australia - AUKUS acknowledged the end of US primacy in the Pacific, replaced by strategic competition and a far more complex deterrent alliance for Australia - Peter Dean - afr.com
>>16021989 Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have vowed to expand cooperation on hypersonic weapons under the AUKUS
>>16022014 PDF: AUKUS leaders report on progress after six months: Implementation of the Australia - United Kingdom - United States
Partnership (AUKUS)
>>16022033 Video: Top cyber spy Rachel Noble sits down with Sky News as Australian Signals Directorate turns 75
>>16028290 Anthony Albanese calls on government to kick out Russian diplomats - Atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha have prompted the Opposition's call to join with EU nations and kick Russian diplomats out of Australia
>>16028297 Australian diplomats warn Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Expelling Russian diplomats could put Australian lives at risk in Moscow
>>16034737 Russia bans Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese from entering the country

#16040567 at 2022-04-09 05:03:14 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

#21 - Part 9
Australian Politics and Society - Part 9
>>15975097 $10b will buy Australia 'strike back' power against cyber enemies: Australian Signals Directorate Director-General Rachel Noble
>>15975106 Australian Federal Police launch election security task force to ensure the security of MPs and candidates during the upcoming federal election
>>15981603 LIVE: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses Australian Parliament - ABC News (Australia) - 31 March 2022
>>15981807 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stuns with Australian Parliament address
>>15981852 Threats from rogue states and crims rising: Australian Signals Directorate head Rachel Noble
>>15989158 Video: Volodymyr Zelenskyy asks for Australian Bushmaster armoured vehicles in address to federal parliament
>>15989255 Video: 'Remember MH17', Volodymyr Zelensky tells Australian parliament in historic address
>>15989480 Bruce Lehrmann, the man charged with raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, has applied for his trial to be permanently halted in the ACT Supreme Court
>>15989529 Leftist warriors pick and choose their moments of outrage - Chris Kenny - theaustralian.com.au
>>15989620 Labor hypocrisy on Solomons deal tests friendship - Kevin Rudd reckons the Solomons is taking China's cash because it's dissatisfied with our climate change stance. Does he realise that's at odds with Richard Marles' comments? - 'The Mocker' - theaustralian.com.au
>>15994515 Australia to sign trade deal with India as Coalition clears decks for election

>>15994538 Video: Australia-India trade agreement has opened one of 'the biggest economic doors': Prime Minister Scott Morrison - Sky News Australia
>>15995708 AUKUS submarine deal gets a boost in US Congress - Senior US politicians form AUKUS Working Group, solely dedicated to advancing the three-way alliance between America, Britain and Australia.
>>16008490 Video: Peter Gutwein quits politics leaving Tasmanian Liberals to pick new Premier
>>16008495 Video: Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has announced he is resigning from politics - Mr Gutwein, 57, says the "time is right" to pursue other interests
>>16014964 Defence Minister Peter Dutton puts new strike force on fast track - Australian fighter jets and naval vessels will be armed sooner with new long-range strike missiles
>>16014984 How AUKUS has brought an alliance revolution to Australia - AUKUS acknowledged the end of US primacy in the Pacific, replaced by strategic competition and a far more complex deterrent alliance for Australia - Peter Dean - afr.com
>>16021989 Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom have vowed to expand cooperation on hypersonic weapons under the AUKUS
>>16022014 PDF: AUKUS leaders report on progress after six months: Implementation of the Australia - United Kingdom - United States
Partnership (AUKUS)
>>16022033 Video: Top cyber spy Rachel Noble sits down with Sky News as Australian Signals Directorate turns 75
>>16028290 Anthony Albanese calls on government to kick out Russian diplomats - Atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha have prompted the Opposition's call to join with EU nations and kick Russian diplomats out of Australia
>>16028297 Australian diplomats warn Prime Minister Scott Morrison: Expelling Russian diplomats could put Australian lives at risk in Moscow
>>16034737 Russia bans Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese from entering the country

#15989480 at 2022-04-01 13:31:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15881249
Brittany Higgins rape case: Bruce Lehrmann applies to permanently halt trial

ASHLEIGH GLEESON - APRIL 1, 2022

The man charged with raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House has applied for his trial to be permanently halted in the ACT Supreme Court.

Bruce Lehrmann's barrister David Campebll SC appeared in court on Friday to ask for the permanent stay of proceedings or alternatively a temporary one to delay the trial.

The trial is currently set down for six weeks in June.

ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold also appeared in court on Friday.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum reserved her decision on whether to grant the stay until next week.

There is a non publication order on the evidence in Friday's hearing until her judgment is handed down.

Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

Police allege he raped Ms Higgins in the office of senator Linda Reynolds on March 23, 2019.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/brittany-higgins-rape-case-Bruce-Lehrmann-applies-to-permanently-halt-trial/news-story/4038b718f67b88e3b6306c06e1f72d74

#15962027 at 2022-03-28 08:12:34 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

>>15962023

2/2

Slights and obstructions

At the same time, the junior frontbencher experienced a series of slights and obstructions that made her work life difficult and unpleasant, according to people who knew her.

During Melbourne's long lockdowns, the Senate tactics committee would not hold video-meetings, which meant she could not participate, according to a friend, even though she was deputy manager of opposition business in the Senate.

No-one called to let her know, last January, when her portfolio changed from government accountability - which covered swaths of the bureaucracy - to government services and the NDIS, which was concentrated on welfare payments.

Senator Tim Ayers, an ally of Wong's, was assigned to monitor her and sometimes wouldn't acknowledge her presence at meetings and the two parliamentary committees they were members of, the source said. (Ayers has said he won't discuss Kitching.)

Gallagher sometimes turned her back on Kitching when Kitching was speaking in internal meetings, according to the source. (Gallagher's office didn't respond to a request for comment.)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is often criticised on social media for a photograph that shows him sitting with his back to Labor MP Tanya Plibersek while she speaks in Parliament.

Wong, who wore her hair short and naturally gray, allegedly and pointedly made a reference to Kitching's frequent change of hairstyles.

"Are you going to keep dying your hair?" Wong asked, according to a close associate of Kitching's.

'They blanked her," the source said. "There were a series of microaggressions. She was basically being frozen out. She was a pro and dealt with it the best she could."

Disloyalty?

Kitching's willingness to advocate foreign policy positions independently of Wong contributed to the tension. The Labor Party was also wary of Kitching's friendly relations with Liberal MPs and right-wing commentators. Wong is from the left faction. Kitching is from the right.

The distrust hardened when then Defence Minister Linda Reynolds told Wong and Keneally last June that Kitching had tipped her off about plans to publicise allegations of a rape in Reynold's office, which would turn out to involve a junior press secretary, Brittany Higgins.

Kitching was then removed from Labor's tactics committee.

In a seven-page letter Kitching wrote, but did not send, to Keneally on June 21, 2021, she emphatically denied warning Reynolds, who is now the minister for government services and the NDIS.

"I think that it is self-evident to everyone who has observed Senator Reynolds in this workplace that she is not in good mental health and has not reacted to entirely reasonable and orthodox questioning from Labor senators in a way we might reasonably expect of a minister of the Crown when asked about her conduct in office, her treatment of her own staff and related issues," Kitching wrote.

"I take no pleasure in making that observation about someone's distress and I hope she recovers but her state of mind is clearly an issue here."

Liberal MPs still insist Reynolds was forewarned by Kitching in the Senate chamber in the first week of February, 2021. The rape allegation was first reported February 15, that year, by the news.com.au website.

Reynolds has said she is not allowed to comment on the Higgins matter because another of her former advisers, Bruce Lehrmann, has been charged with rape. He has pleaded not guilty.

As for China's Belt and Road initiative, Foreign Minister Marise Payne last April said the federal government would veto Victoria's participation. Wong agreed with the decision.

https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/two-years-of-micro-aggressions-kitching-felt-frozen-out-by-labor-20220325-p5a7vc

#15881249 at 2022-03-17 05:20:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #21: MIL-CIV ALLIANCE Edition

Lawyers for the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins seek to halt trial, shut down media reporting

Holly Tregenza and Elizabeth Byrne - 16 March 2022

Lawyers for the man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins will lodge a permanent stay application in the case, as they also take steps to shut down media reporting ahead of the trial set for June.

On Wednesday, Bruce Lehrmann's lawyers told the ACT Supreme Court they would lodge a permanent stay application to halt court proceedings.

If successful, it would mean Mr Lehrmann will be unlikely to ever face trial.

But lawyers said that if the permanent stay was not granted, they would ask for a delay in the trial.

Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Lawyers ask for court order to prevent reporting

Mr Lehrmann's barrister David Campbell SC told the court they would apply for a court order preventing future reporting on the case ahead of the trial.

He also asked for the court to order media organisations to take down existing stories about the case.

In the meantime, the court heard Mr Lehrmann's lawyers were preparing to send letters to media organisations asking them to take down the stories before the official application is made.

ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum has already warned people involved in the case that they should be careful about what they say about the matter to ensure there was a fair trial.

"The more this case is ventilated in public forums, the more likely it is that the accused will not have a fair trial and the consequence that must follow is a stay, either permanent or temporary, of the prosecution," she said.

On Wednesday, she rejected a request from the prosecution for a ban on reporting of the stay application, which the prosecution argued was necessary to prevent further pre-trial publicity.

Prosecutor Shane Drumgold had applied for the order on Ms Higgins' name, which he said had become a key search term.

"The concern is the headline will be 'Stay application in the Higgins' matter'," he said.

Mr Lerhmann's lawyers will lodge their application on April 1.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-16/Bruce-Lehrmann-media-coverage-permanent-stay-application/100913614

#14789326 at 2021-10-15 09:02:37 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #19 - THE ONLY WAY IS THE MILITARY Edition

#18 - Part 11
Australian Government Sexual Assault Allegations
>>14612675 Alexander Matters, 20-year-old Labor staffer for federal Labor MP David Smith fired after rape charges
>>14782495 Bruce Lehrmann: Ex-Liberal staffer accused of Brittany Higgins rape appears before court

#18 - Part 12
George Papadopoulos Tweets, Alexander Downer and SPYGATE Revelations
>>14600691 George Papadopoulos Tweet: When you connect the dots: Joseph Mifsud, Alexander Downer, US embassy London, Gina Haspel, Jim Comey, Perkins Coie, Steele, Clinton campaign and a politicized FBI under Comey willing to launch a scandalous and baseless investigation, it's clear a conspiracy case is emerging
>>14648951 George Papadopoulos Tweet: (Stefan Halper and Alexander Downer picture)
>>14691668 George Papadopoulos Tweet: Australia is our warning

#18 - Part 13
Australian and Regional Resignations
>>14482027 Pope Francis accepts resignation of Australian Bishop investigated for sexual abuse, Christopher Alan Saunders
>>14606833 Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston steps down from board as court date looms
>>14614068 Christian Porter resigns from Scott Morrison's ministry after revealing he accepted an anonymous donation to help cover his personal legal fees
>>14697903 NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian resigns over ICAC 'breach of trust' probe
>>14697914 Video: Berejiklian resigns as New South Wales premier - Sky News Australia
>>14763819 Victorian Labor MP Luke Donnellan quits after explosive IBAC claims during inquiry into allegations of Labor Party branch stacking

#18 - Part 14
Malka Leifer Extradition and Prosecution
>>14569132 First of three accusers gives evidence against Malka Leifer
>>14569136 Malka Leifer excused from attending court so she can observe the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur
>>14584509 Malka Leifer's second accuser giving evidence in sex abuse case
>>14592935 Cleaner Mario Toledo saw Malka Leifer at school with girls on Sundays, court hears
>>14600391 Closed court to continue as third Malka Leifer accuser gives evidence
>>14621097 Witness reluctant to make Leifer statement - Ex-school counsellor did not want to make a statement against former principal because she thought she could be pursued for money
>>14641923 Former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer committed to stand trial over child sex abuse charges
>>14698011 Malka Leifer case: Dozens more charges approved by Israel's Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar - Australian legal officials sought the minister's approval to add another 20 counts of sexual abuse to Leifer's indictment after the additional incidents came to light

#14789241 at 2021-10-15 08:41:16 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

#18 - Part 11
Australian Government Sexual Assault Allegations
>>14612675 Alexander Matters, 20-year-old Labor staffer for federal Labor MP David Smith fired after rape charges
>>14782495 Bruce Lehrmann: Ex-Liberal staffer accused of Brittany Higgins rape appears before court

#18 - Part 12
George Papadopoulos Tweets, Alexander Downer and SPYGATE Revelations
>>14600691 George Papadopoulos Tweet: When you connect the dots: Joseph Mifsud, Alexander Downer, US embassy London, Gina Haspel, Jim Comey, Perkins Coie, Steele, Clinton campaign and a politicized FBI under Comey willing to launch a scandalous and baseless investigation, it's clear a conspiracy case is emerging
>>14648951 George Papadopoulos Tweet: (Stefan Halper and Alexander Downer picture)
>>14691668 George Papadopoulos Tweet: Australia is our warning

#18 - Part 13
Australian and Regional Resignations
>>14482027 Pope Francis accepts resignation of Australian Bishop investigated for sexual abuse, Christopher Alan Saunders
>>14606833 Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston steps down from board as court date looms
>>14614068 Christian Porter resigns from Scott Morrison's ministry after revealing he accepted an anonymous donation to help cover his personal legal fees
>>14697903 NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian resigns over ICAC 'breach of trust' probe
>>14697914 Video: Berejiklian resigns as New South Wales premier - Sky News Australia
>>14763819 Victorian Labor MP Luke Donnellan quits after explosive IBAC claims during inquiry into allegations of Labor Party branch stacking

#18 - Part 14
Malka Leifer Extradition and Prosecution
>>14569132 First of three accusers gives evidence against Malka Leifer
>>14569136 Malka Leifer excused from attending court so she can observe the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur
>>14584509 Malka Leifer's second accuser giving evidence in sex abuse case
>>14592935 Cleaner Mario Toledo saw Malka Leifer at school with girls on Sundays, court hears
>>14600391 Closed court to continue as third Malka Leifer accuser gives evidence
>>14621097 Witness reluctant to make Leifer statement - Ex-school counsellor did not want to make a statement against former principal because she thought she could be pursued for money
>>14641923 Former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer committed to stand trial over child sex abuse charges
>>14698011 Malka Leifer case: Dozens more charges approved by Israel's Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar - Australian legal officials sought the minister's approval to add another 20 counts of sexual abuse to Leifer's indictment after the additional incidents came to light

#14782495 at 2021-10-14 06:42:08 (UTC+1)
Q Research AUSTRALIA #18 - Talisman Sabre: MAGIC SWORD Edition

Brittany Higgins: Ex-Liberal staffer accused of rape appears before court

ADESHOLA ORE - OCTOBER 14, 2021

The man accused of raping former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019 has fronted court for the first time.

Bruce Lehrmann, 26, attended the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday morning via telephone from Queensland where he is residing. The former Liberal staffer will defend one count of sexual intercourse without consent. He denies he and Ms Higgins had sexual intercourse.

Mr Lehrmann's lawyer John Korn requested a three-week adjournment for the matter. The prosecution did not object. At the next hearing Mr Lehrmann is expected to be committed to stand trial.

Mr Lehrmann only spoke to Magistrate Beth Campbell and Mr Korn to confirm he could hear the proceedings of the virtual hearing.

Mr Lehrmann was summoned to appear in August. ACT police allege Mr Lehrmann had sexual intercourse without consent with Ms Higgins at Parliament House on March 23, 2019. The maximum penalty for this offence is 12 years imprisonment.

Ms Higgins has alleged she was raped before the 2019 election in the office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds. Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins both worked for Senator Reynolds at the time of the alleged rape.

ACT police first received a report of the alleged assault in April 2019, and the investigation remained open until a formal complaint was made in February 2021.

Ms Higgins' allegations, which became public in February, led to a national reckoning about the handling of sexual assault allegations and the treatment of women in politics and other workplaces.

Mr Lehrmann will next appear in court on November 5.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-exliberal-staffer-accused-of-rape-appears-before-court/news-story/30c938bab4391c8fdda7cdff6373a38d