Brittany Higgins has abandoned appeals against her costly defamation battle loss to her former boss, ex-Liberal senator Linda Reynolds.
Reynolds sued Higgins over a series of social media posts the former defence minister believed damaged her reputation.
Western Australia‘s Supreme Court in August found the posts were defamatory and awarded damages of $315,000 plus $26,109 interest to Reynolds.
Brittany Higgins has abandoned appeals against her costly defamation battle loss to her former boss, ex-Liberal senator Linda Reynolds. (Rhett Wyman)
Higgins was also ordered to pay 80 per cent of Reynolds’ legal costs, which are estimated to be over $1 million.
The former political staffer in September, appealed Justice Paul Tottle’s damages award and finding that she breached a 2021 deed of settlement between the pair with an Instagram post referring to her being a defamation victim.
She also challenged the costs order in another appeal.
Ex-Liberal senator Linda Reynolds. (AAP)
A court spokesperson confirmed discontinuance notices for both appeals were filed on Monday.
It comes about a week after Reynolds launched bankruptcy proceedings against Higgins to recoup the costs awarded in her defamation win.
Reynolds filed a creditor’s petition in the Federal Court, claiming Higgins “failed to comply” with a bankruptcy notice issued to her several weeks earlier.
Higgins’ husband David Sharaz has also been served with bankruptcy proceedings by Reynolds.
He was also found to have defamed the former politician and was ordered to pay $85,000 in damages plus interest and costs.Â
Higgins previously apologised to Reynolds after the former defence minister emerged victorious from the duo’s high-profile five-week defamation trial, which ended in September 2024.
Justice Tottle found Higgins’ social media posts carried an array of imputations.
They included Reynolds engaged in a campaign of harassment against Higgins, mishandled her rape allegation and engaged in questionable conduct during Bruce Lehrmann’s aborted criminal trial for rape.
The 360-page judgment made factual findings about the events involving Reynolds and Higgins, including her alleged 2019 rape and the events in the years after it.
Higgins made 26 false or misleading statements in media interviews after her alleged sexual assault, it said.
She alleges former co-worker Lehrmann raped her in the senator’s ministerial suite.
A Federal Court judge overseeing a defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by her former co-worker in the office.
Lehrmann is appealing that finding.
He has always denied the rape allegation and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct.
Support is available by calling 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service on 1800 211 028.