Tasmanian councillor pleads not guilty to making defamatory statements about mayor
A Tasmanian council’s defamation case has been delayed until next year as lawyers struggle to obtain basic meeting records from local government. Latest from court:
A Tasmanian councillor has pleaded not guilty to allegations she made false and defamatory statements about her mayor, with the case delayed amid ongoing disclosure issues.
Latrobe Councillor Claudia Baldock entered a plea of not guilty to the charge on 17 July and on Tuesday November 18 the court heard the matter could not proceed in December because key materials had not been fully disclosed.
According to documents, Ms Baldock is accused of making the following false and defamatory statements in regards to Latrobe Mayor Peter Freshney during a closed council meeting over the appointment of a new general manager.
-Councillors must not under any circumstances conduct their own informal reference checks.
-Copies of applications, notes and reports should be destroyed on completion of the interview
-Councillors should also make themselves aware of their common law duties and judicial consequences of any breach
Defence argued the case had a political dimension and said they require comprehensive disclosure of what occurred at the relevant council meeting, including the agenda and complete records.
Ms Baldock’s lawyer said as Australia was a sophisticated G20 country, it should not be so hard to get documents from a local government.
He noted they had been provided screenshots and an AI-generated transcript of the meeting, but not the agenda or full documentation.
The prosecution told the court that, on their advice, material had been delayed due to the provision of documents to the investigating officer, but that it has now been obtained and would be disclosed as soon as possible.
The magistrate said that while criticism of the delay may be appropriate, it should not be levelled at Tasmania Police.
The court vacated a December trial date and listed the matter for a full-day hearing on 26 June 2026.
The magistrate noted the adjournment was unusually long, reflecting the current state of the court list on the North West Coast and broader resourcing pressures within the justice system.
He said the benefits from being a sophisticated, G20 nation had clearly not “trickled down” to the court system in Tasmania.
A mention has been set down for April to allow the parties to touch base with the court on progress with disclosure. Ms Baldock is not required to attend the court for the mention,
Prosecution estimates the hearing will take one day. The matter will return to court for trial on Jun 26, 2026.
