Christian Porter criticises timing of bid to stop his defamation lawyer from appearing in case against ABC
Former attorney-general Christian Porter says he has concerns about the timing of a bid to stop his high-profile defamation barrister from appearing in his case against the ABC.
Christian Porter says he is “concerned about the timing” of a bid to restrain his defamation barrister from representing the former attorney-general in his case against the ABC.
Mr Porter is suing the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan over an article alleging an unnamed senior cabinet minister faced a historical rape allegation from 1988.
Prominent defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC has been briefed in the case.
But Jo Dyer, the director of Adelaide Writers Week, has this week filed proceedings seeking an order Ms Chrysanthou be restrained by the court from appearing for Mr Porter.
Late on Wednesday, Mr Porter seized on the timing of the development.
“It has been widely known for two months that Sue has been acting as my counsel in this well publicised matter — yet the action has come shortly before court appearances on significant issues in the proceedings and over eight weeks after they were commenced,” he said in a statement released by his lawyers.
“I am therefore concerned about the timing of this application.”
Ms Dyer is a friend of the Adelaide woman at the centre of the alleged incident in Sydney in 1988 when the woman was aged 16 and Mr Porter 17.
Ms Chrysanthou is accused of having access to confidential information related to the case given to her by Ms Dyer, the Australian reports.
Mr Porter, who strenuously denies that he raped the teenager in 1988, said he had a right to choose his own barrister.
“Ms Chrysanthou is one of this country’s pre-eminent defamation advocates,” he said in the statement.
“It is a critically important right for any citizen in legal proceedings to choose his or her own counsel.”
Mr Porter’s accuser died by suicide last year after deciding not go ahead with her police complaint.
But the woman’s friends have asked Prime Minister Scott Morrison for an independent inquiry.
The ABC report of a letter sent to Mr Morrison is the subject of the defamation action.
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