Brittany Higgins’s husband David Sharaz has been served bankruptcy papers by former Senator Linda Reynolds, as she tries to recover damages awarded to her by a Perth court for defamation.<\/p>\n
In August Ms Higgins was ordered to pay Ms Reynolds $315,000 plus costs after she and Mr Sharaz were found to have defamed the former senator in a series of social media posts.<\/p>\n
Ms Higgins was also ordered to pay Ms Reynolds’s costs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz in 2023.\u00a0 (AAP:\u00a0Dan Himbrechts)<\/p>\n
The former WA MP was represented in court by a team of barristers led by Martin Bennett, who confirmed her legal bill had exceeded one million dollars.<\/p>\n
Bankruptcy papers served<\/p>\n
Mr Sharaz, who opted not to defend the legal action, was ordered to pay $85,000, with Justice Tottle ruling both he and Ms Higgins were jointly liable for the bill.<\/p>\n
Today Ms Reynolds confirmed Mr Sharaz had been served the bankruptcy papers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Former WA Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds won her defamation case against Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz. (ABC News: Phoebe Pin)<\/p>\n
“Mr Sharaz today agreed to accept service of the Bankruptcy Notice I had issued to him several weeks ago, but not before forcing me to incur further legal expenses in applying for substituted service orders,” she said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Again, this is predictable conduct that I have unfortunately become accustomed to in the pursuit of justice.<\/p>\n
“Mr Sharaz now has 21 days to pay the debt or I will proceed to apply to formally bankrupt him.”<\/p>\n
Long-running saga<\/p>\n
The legal action was launched by Ms Reynolds following social media posts made by Ms Higgins beginning in 2022.<\/p>\n
The former senator argued the posts trashed her reputation and caused her immense distress, following a period of ill health.<\/p>\n
Ms Higgins wrote the posts four years after she was raped in the then-senator’s office by her colleague Bruce Lehrmann.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Some of the social media posts made by Brittany Higgins which Senator Linda Reynolds says defamed her. (Supplied: WA Supreme Court)<\/p>\n
The finding of rape was made last year by Justice Michael Lee during a separate defamation action Mr Lehrmann had launched in the Federal Court against Channel 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.<\/p>\n
That finding was made on the balance of probabilities, the standard of proof in a civil court matter.<\/p>\n
Separate criminal proceedings against Mr Lehrmann, which require a charge to be proved beyond reasonable doubt, were discontinued after juror misconduct and concerns for Ms Higgins’s welfare.<\/p>\n
Mr Lehrmann has always denied raping Ms Higgins.<\/p>\n
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