Senator Linda Reynolds, Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz ordered into last-ditch mediation to avoid costly defamation trial

Linda Reynolds, her former staffer Brittany Higgins and Ms Higgins’ fiance David Sharaz will sit face-to-face in a last-ditch mediation ahead of a potentially costly defamation trial.

Senator Linda Reynolds. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Senator Linda Reynolds, her former staffer Brittany Higgins and Ms Higgins’ fiance David Sharaz will sit face-to-face in a last-ditch mediation ahead of a potentially costly defamation trial.

And a host of prominent media figures, as well as federal Labor senator Katy Gallagher, have now been subpoenaed to ­appear as witnesses in the event the matter goes to trial.

West Australian Supreme Court judge Marcus Solomon on Wednesday ordered the trio ­attend a mediation hearing in person in Perth next March.

Senator Reynolds has launched separate defamation actions against Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz over their comments about the senator in the wake of Ms Higgins’ allegations that she was raped by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in the senator’s Parliament House office. Charges against Mr Lehrmann were dropped last year after a mistrial.

Justice Solomon has previously urged the parties to do their best to settle the matter, warning of the financial and human cost of a protracted trial.

Brittany Higgins and fiance David Sharaz. Picture: Instagram

“I’ve spoken before about the desirability for this matter to be settled and I’ve not shifted one iota from that view,” Justice Solomon said on Wednesday.

“The comments I previously made about the human cost of this litigation have only been compounded by reading through the pleadings.”

It emerged during Wednesday’s strategic conference that Senator Reynolds’ legal team had issued subpoenas to people including former The Project host Lisa Wilkinson, prominent journalist Samantha Maiden, Network Ten TV producer Angus Llewelyn and Senator Gallagher.

Senator Gallagher came under fire this year after it emerged she had been invited to Mr Sharaz’s first wedding and had learned of Ms Higgins’ allegations before they were first reported. She has denied doing anything with that information.

Ms Higgins’ lawyer, Nicholas Owens SC, told the hearing he expected Ms Higgins would be the only witness called as part of her defence against the defamation action. Should the mediation fail to culminate in a settlement, the matter looks likely to go to trial from mid July.