Linda Reynolds pulls extraordinary legal move in Brittany Higgins defamation trial
Just 24 hours after Brittany Higgins posted the first images of her new life in France, the senator has revealed she is weighing up fresh legal moves.
Linda Reynolds’ legal manoeuvres to freeze Brittany Higgins’ assets and what remains of her $2.4 million payout is pressing ahead with the Liberal senator engaging a French legal team.
Just 24 hours after Ms Higgins posted the first images of her new life in France with her partner David Sharaz enjoying Moet and Chandon champagne, Senator Reynolds has revealed she is weighing up fresh legal moves.
The former defence minister is suing Ms Higgins and her fiance David Sharaz for defamation in the Supreme Court of Western Australia over social media utterances.
If successful, Senator Reynolds could end up with some of Ms Higgins $2.4 million taxpayer-funded assets as payment for any defamation damages payout.
Just days after Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz left Australia in December dressed in white, Senator Reynolds’ legal team wrote a letter to Brittany Higgins lawyer Leon Zwier raising concerns.
The correspondence was then provided to the media.
“If such reports are true, we consider that an application for freezing orders is appropriate,” the letter read.
It’s not clear whether Senator Reynolds has lodged any application with the WA Supreme Court to date.
But on Friday, after Ms Higgins was again in the media after posting images of her “new life” in the south of France, Senator Reynolds provided a statement to Daily Mail Australia revealing she had engaged a French lawyer.
“I am considering my position and awaiting advice from French counsel on my right to enforce an Australian judgment against assets in France,” Senator Reynolds said.
The Liberal senator has also asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to investigate the payout to Ms Higgins by the Albanese Government.
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by Ms Higgins.
The NACC has declined to comment on whether or not it will investigate. It was previously investigating the leaking of Ms Higgins mobile phone records after the criminal trial.
The Liberal senator is suing Ms Higgins over social media posts pertaining to the long-running dispute between the two women over how her allegation of rape was handled in 2019.
Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann was charged over the rape allegation in 2021 but never convicted and he maintains his innocence.
A criminal trial collapsed in 2022 following an allegation of juror misconduct and the matter was discontinued by the DPP citing mental health concerns regarding Ms Higgins ability to give evidence.
Mr Lehrmann then sued Channel 10 and Lisa Wilkinson for defamation. Justice Michael Lee has reserved his judgement.
Ms Reynolds has engaged the prominent defamation lawyer Martin Bennett.
His firm Bennett + Co successfully concluded the longest running defamation action in the State of Western Australia in 2017, recording the second highest damages award for defamation in Australian legal history for its client Mr Lloyd Rayney.
Mr Rayney was awarded damages totalling just in excess of $2.62 million comprising general damages, aggravated damages, economic loss and interest.
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In December, Ms Higgins quietly purchased a five-bedroom house in the town of Lunas, France for an estimated $600,000 and has relocated her dog Kingston and cat Clover overseas.
Contrary to some reports, it is not a chateau but a comfortable French home in the countryside.
The small town where Ms Higgins resides does not have any shops, supermarkets or restaurants but features an automatic vending machine in a car park that dispenses baguettes. It’s not clear which visa she and her partner have obtained but if it is the standard 90 day EU tourist visa she may only be able to live in the house for six months of the year.