The civil defamation finding against former Special Air Services trooper Ben Roberts-Smith is not enough to strip him of his military decorations, including the Victoria Cross, the government says.

After Federal Court Justice Anthony Besanko found on Thursday that The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and Canberra Times proved Mr Roberts-Smith was a war criminal, murderer and bully, Defence Minister Richard Marles said it would be inappropriate to comment, more so given there was the prospect of an appeal.