Goyder candidate Carolyn Reynolds drops legal action against former speaker and political rival Kezia Purick

INDEPENDENT candidate for Goyder Carolyn Reynolds has dropped her legal case against former speaker and political rival Kezia Purick, although the pair continue to disagree.

Former speaker Kezia Purick was embroiled in a legal stoush with fellow candidate for Goyder Carolyn Reynolds, but the matter has been dropped in a court hearing on Thursday. Picture: Justin Kennedy

• Purick and Reynolds agree to be civil with each other while contesting August election
• Goyder candidate Carolyn Reynolds takes former speaker Kezia Purick to court after alleged parliament ban

INDEPENDENT candidate for Goyder Carolyn Reynolds has dropped her legal case against former speaker and political rival Kezia Purick, although the pair continue to disagree.

Ms Reynolds was seeking a restraining order against Ms Purick for what she claimed in her application filed at the Darwin Local Court was a “history of hurts, harms, hostilities and harassments” directed at her as the two women prepared to contest the seat of Goyder at the August election.

Ms Purick told the NT News the matter was dropped following a court hearing in Darwin on Thursday.

“She withdrew it in front of the judge.” she said.

She said it was “disappointing” the matter was brought to court in the first place.

“There were due processes we had to go through,” Ms Purick said.

“It was disappointing, but I was always confident there was no substance to her allegations and I’m just getting on with the job.”

Ms Purick said she didn’t believe Ms Reynolds had the evidence or witnesses to pursue the claim.

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However, Ms Reynolds told the NT News she decided to drop the case because she “chose to be the big person”.

“I decided enough had been done, so it didn’t need to prolong any expense,” Ms Reynolds said.

“That (the court case) was prolonging and carrying on the politics and I decided, as a Christian woman, not to play into this.”

When asked if she had any witnesses, Ms Reynolds said she had “numerous”.

Carolyn Reynolds, independent candidate for Goyder. Picture: Facebook

The matter was due to return to court on August 13, at which time Ms Purick’s lawyer, Christine Osborne, was expected to apply to have the suit summarily dismissed as baseless.

The matter was heard on Thursday by Alice Springs- based judge David Bamber, as the court heard during a previous hearing that a number of Darwin judges were “conflicted in this matter”.

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During a previous hearing, the pair agreed to be civil with one another on the campaign trail.

“If my life and my whole being is going to continually be hurt … and made hostile, I don’t think I want to stand for parliament because I don’t think it’s a nice place to be,” Ms Reynolds told the court.