Brittany Higgins has failed in a bid to delay a defamation trial brought against her by Senator Linda Reynolds over social media posts made in July last year. Fiancé David Sharaz, also named in the case, calling for the Senator to drop the case.

Canberra

Brittany Higgins, alongside her fiancé David Sharaz, has been unsuccessful in attempting to delay a defamation trial instigated by Senator Linda Reynolds. The legal action concerns social media posts made by Higgins in July of the previous year, which prompted Reynolds to claim defamation, stating the allegations had detrimental effects on her reputation, career, and health. During a recent hearing, Higgins' legal team sought to postpone the trial, citing her compromised mental state, particularly in light of the distress caused by the recent Bruce Lererman case, which they argued had left her unable to provide clear instructions for her defense. 

In a noteworthy development within the proceedings, Sharaz indicated through a mid-hearing tweet his intention to cease fighting the case, expressing concerns over the financial burden of potential legal costs from a six-week trial. This move was characterized by Reynolds' lawyer, Martin Bennett, as an attempt to manipulate media narrative, underscoring it as consistent with Sharaz's purported penchant for seeking attention. Meanwhile, Bennett highlighted the substantial support Reynolds has received from her parliamentary peers, also noting the considerable strain the case has had on her health.

The court weighed the mental health concerns of both Higgins and Reynolds before deciding. The judge ruled against the delay on the basis that extending the case would only further negatively impact Reynolds. Consequently, the trial is set to proceed on its original date, July 24. Moreover, Higgins has been mandated to cover the legal expenses incurred from the day's proceedings.



Brittany Higgins fails in bid to delay defamation trial

Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds is suing Brittany Higgins and David Shiraz over a series of tweets alleging she was involved in a cover-up of Ms Higgins' rape. Senator Reynolds says it damaged her reputation, her career and her health. Today's hearing was an application by Brittany Higgins to push back the trial. The lawyers said they won't be ready by July. The main issue being her mental health, which had been impacted by the recent Bruce Lererman case. She found it highly traumatic and her legal team could not get clear instructions from her. Mr Shiraz's lawyer repeatedly told the court his client wants to get off this ride and he won't buy a ticket on the Titanic. In an unusual turn of events, Mr Shiraz released a tweet halfway through the hearing saying he won't fight the case anymore. I cannot afford to pay legal costs to defend myself over a six-week trial. An attention-seeking stunt, manipulate the media, that's what Mr Shiraz does best. Linda Reynolds' lawyer Martin Bennett says she has enormous support from her parliamentary colleagues and she was also suffering considerable health effects. The judge balanced the mental health impacts on both parties and found that prolonging the case would impact Ms Reynolds. The application was rejected and the trial will go ahead as normal on July 24. Ms Higgins has been ordered to pay for today's legal costs.

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