September 2024
‘She’s done’: Sharaz, Higgins ‘mocked’ Reynolds over sick leave
Brittany Higgins and her partner mocked Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds after she took sick leave from parliament, a Perth court has heard.
- Tom Rabe
Peta Credlin had hand in Higgins’ statement, trial told
Sky News political commentator Peta Credlin helped Brittany Higgins draft a statement outlining the former staffer’s plan to reform how parliament handled sexual harassment, a trial has been told.
- Aaron Bunch
Reynolds picked wrong target in Higgins defamation suit
Brittany Higgins’ barrister said she spoke out about her alleged rape in parliament to ensure nobody experienced a similar ordeal, not to traumatise her former boss.
- Aaron Bunch
August 2024
Higgins’ partner offered media pictures of alleged rape couch
The boyfriend of Brittany Higgins offered to send pictures of the couch she was allegedly raped on to a journalist, a Perth court has heard.
- Tom Rabe
‘Significantly different’ psychiatric report on Higgins emerges
The psychiatric report that helped secure Brittany Higgins a $2.4 million settlement was one of two dated on the same day, but which did not match, a Perth court has heard.
- Tom Rabe
‘What a scoop ha ha’: Text from Higgins’ partner to journalist aired
Samantha Maiden has told a court she thought a message sent to her by Brittany Higgins’ partner David Sharaz in the days after her alleged rape was inappropriate.
- Tom Rabe
- Updated
- Courts
Reynolds ‘shook, cried’ in chamber amid targeted political attacks
Marise Payne says her former Senate colleague Linda Reynolds visibly shook in the chamber, cried and showed signs of trauma amid extreme pressure from political opponents.
- Updated
- Tom Rabe
‘Everything up in the air’: Higgins won’t front Reynolds defamation trial
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins won’t take the witness stand in a high-profile defamation trial in Perth amid new concerns about her health.
- Tom Rabe
Morrison feared ‘fatal outcome’ for Reynolds in Higgins saga
Scott Morrison told a court he saw Senator Linda Reynolds stressed during debate over Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations, and worried it would kill her.
- Tom Rabe and Tom McIlroy
Reynolds’ claims ‘retraumatising’ Higgins, court told
Lawyers for Brittany Higgins have hit back at claims she cast Senator Linda Reynolds as a villain in an imaginary fairytale, calling them “harassing”.
- Tom Rabe
Higgins cast Reynolds as villain in ‘fairytale’: lawyer
Senator Linda Reynolds was cast as a villain in a “fictional story” constructed in Brittany Higgins’ mind, lawyers say.
- Tom Rabe
July 2024
Liberals still want vindication on Brittany Higgins saga
Suggestions we need to understand how the Higgins allegations affected the last election are telling. But satisfaction is unlikely.
- Myriam Robin
Lehrmann committed to stand trial on two counts of rape
Magistrate Mark Howden returned with a decision that a reasonable jury, properly instructed, could potentially find the allegations proven beyond reasonable doubt.
- Rex Martinich
June 2024
- Court
- Lehrmann trial
Lehrmann rape hearing adjourned for ‘no-case’ argument
A rape charge hearing against former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been adjourned, with his defence set to argue he has no case to answer.
- Rex Martinich
- Updated
- Disability
‘Too late to prosecute’: Fraud rife among NDIS managers
The integrity chief for the NDIS says nine out of 10 plan managers surveyed showed “significant indicators of fraud” including using scheme money for drugs and alcohol.
- Tom Burton
Bill Shorten’s speechwriter earning $620,000
A former scriptwriter for soap operas Sons and Daughters and A Country Practice now earns more than a senator as “specialist speechwriter”.
- Updated
- Tom McIlroy
April 2024
Higgins must accept there was no cover-up: Reynolds
Senator Linda Reynolds will proceed with her defamation lawsuit unless Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz accept Federal Court findings there was no cover-up of rape.
- Ronald Mizen
Legitimate to question Higgins’ $2.4m compo: Liberals
The opposition says it is legitimate to question Brittany Higgins’ payout given Justice Michael Lee found there was no political cover-up of her rape.
- Phillip Coorey
A rape, a cover-up narrative and a political firestorm
“Tonight, claims of rape, roadblocks to a police investigation, and a young woman forced to choose between her career and the pursuit of justice”. That is how Ten introduced its interview with Brittany Higgins.
- Ronald Mizen
- Updated
- Lehrmann trial
Higgins, Sharaz should settle with ‘vindicated’ Reynolds: Dutton
The opposition leader says Brittany Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz should settle the senator’s defamation actions against them and issue a “full apology”.
- Ronald Mizen