The criminal case against Roberts-Smith follows a 2023 civil defamation case, in which a judge found – on the balance of probabilities – there was “substantial truth” to some of the murder claims against him.
Brought by Roberts-Smith against Nine newspapers, which first published allegations of misconduct in 2018, the high-profile trial was the first time in history any court has examined claims of war crimes by Australian forces.
The former soldier argued the alleged killings occurred legally during combat or did not happen at all, and last year lost an appeal against the Federal Court finding.
He now faces one charge of the war crime of murder, one of jointly commissioning a murder, and three of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring a murder.