Ex-Senator Linda Reynolds Wins Defamation Case Against Brittany Higgins

Western Australian Supreme Court Justice Paul Tottle ruled in favor of former senator Linda Reynolds in her defamation case against Brittany Higgins, awarding Reynolds over $315,000 in damages. The case revolved around three social media posts by Higgins that accused Reynolds of mishandling a rape allegation against colleague Bruce Lehrmann and attempting to silence sexual assault victims. The court found two of the posts defamatory while Higgins established a defense of honest opinion and qualified privilege for the third, resulting in no damages for that post. Higgins' lawyer argued her client spoke out to promote workplace reforms and public interest, while Reynolds claimed the posts damaged her reputation, health, and career. The defamation trial did not concern the rape allegation itself, which was found to be true on the balance of probabilities in a separate Federal Court case, but instead focused on the later social media comments. The verdict concludes years of legal disputes between the two women, although Higgins may appeal the decision.