Friend of woman who claimed Christian Porter raped her threatens to sue former Attorney-General

A day after Christian Porter discontinued his defamation case against the ABC, a new potential legal battle could be looming.

Christian Porter discontinued his defamation case against the ABC. Picture: Stefan Gosatti/AFP

A close friend of the woman who claimed Christian Porter raped her three decades ago has threatened to sue the former Attorney-General over public comments he made about her after he discontinued his defamation case against the ABC this week.

Jo Dyer, who became friends with the woman in the 1980s, has issued a “concerns notice” today to Mr Porter warning that if she proceeds with defamation action she planned to “see it through to its conclusion”.

The theatre producer recently won a high-profile battle in the federal court in Sydney to force Mr Porter’s lawyer Sue Chrysanthou SC to withdraw from the case on the grounds she had a conflict of interest.

Mr Porter has consistently denied the rape allegations. The woman committed suicide in 2020 after telling police she did not want to pursue her complaint against Mr Porter.

In a statement to news.com.au, Ms Dyer claimed Mr Porter had impugned her honesty and integrity over her dealings with Four Corners journalist Louise Milligan.

“In a statement released on May 12, Mr Porter implied legal proceedings I commenced against Sue Chrysanthou were part of an improper last-minute legal strategy to disrupt his now discontinued action against Ms Milligan and the ABC,’’ she said.

Ms Dyer said that Mr Porter had then gone further, suggesting she was coached by the ABC – a suggestion she said was “absurd”.

“Yesterday Mr Porter alleged that, after ‘coaching’ from Ms Milligan, I had destroyed important communications that may have had a bearing on his now discontinued action against Ms Milligan and the ABC. This is absurd,’’ she said.

“As I stated in court under oath, a number of people, of whom Ms Milligan was but one, encouraged me to treat all communications about our dear friend, and the allegations she made against Mr Porter, with the care and respect she and they warranted.

Solicitor Rebekah Giles and Christian Porter pictured leaving a press conference at the Queens Square Supreme Court in Sydney. Picture: Adam Yip/NCA NewsWire

“I endeavoured to do so by both filing and deleting correspondence between me and other individuals as appropriate. There was nothing improper, illegal or sinister in my decisions to save or delete certain messages, decisions that were taken well before Mr Porter launched his now discontinued action against Ms Milligan and the ABC.

“This afternoon Marque Lawyers sent a second Concerns Notice to Mr Porter in relation to his continuing defamatory comments of me. He should be on notice that if I launch legal proceedings, I tend to see them through to their conclusion.”

There are renewed calls for an inquiry into the matter by the Labor Party today after the defamation matter was discontinued.

“People will call for an inquiry or they won’t call for an inquiry,” Mr Porter told reporters on Monday.

“The things that were alleged to have happened just didn’t happen.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected calls for an inquiry, describing Mr Porter as an “innocent man under our law”.

Lawyers for Mr Porter are seeking a permanent suppression order on 27 pages of the ABC’s defence in the now concluded defamation matter. The ABC is no longer pressing for its release.

Justice Jayne Jagot said on Tuesday she was yet to decide if she would agree to that provision.

“You’ve filed orders in a court, it doesn’t then become a matter for you about what is to be disclosed or not disclosed,” she said.

She said she had concerns about the principle and “a fundamental issue about the integrity of the court file”.

News Corp and Nine Newspapers have launched legal action to gain access to the ABC’s unredacted defence.