By Kishor Napier-Raman and Stephen Brook
We promised more at the end of our last item about high-profile solicitor Rebekah Giles, her former client, barrister Gina Edwards, celebrity pooch Oscar the cavoodle, A Current Affair, a $150,000 defamation payout and a dispute over legal payments.
But boy, we didn’t realise how much more.
Gina Edwards and Oscar outside court in 2024.Credit: Janie Barrett
Edwards is in dispute with her former law firm Giles George, and has now alleged in court that Giles specifically offered to coach her during cross-examination – strictly not allowed.
Edwards made the allegations at a hearing in the Federal Court before Justice Michael Wigney, which flowed from Edwards’ celebrated defamation victory against A Current Affair, in which she was awarded $150,000 after she was falsely accused of stealing Oscar, who has an Instagram account.
Lawyer Rebekah Giles.Credit: Steven Siewert
Edwards and her former lawyers have since been locked in a dispute over her legal costs of about $1.2 million.
Last week in court, Edwards detailed fresh allegations about Giles’ conduct during the defamation case.
“Prior to my cross-examination, Ms Giles attempted to coach me by stating that she would pull her ear if I was doing badly on cross-examination,” Edwards told the court, before she was interrupted by Wigney.
“Ms Edwards, Ms Edwards, really, you’re really testing my patience, I have to say,” he said.
Earlier, Edwards dropped another bombshell allegation, without specifying individuals.
“There has been a pattern of bullying and intimidation which I have gone through since February 2023 that is detailed in many documents and is filed with the Law Society, and they are investigating, and I provided all the supporting documentation.”
But while Edwards made her submissions, she is yet to table evidence in court.
“These were allegations made from the bar table – unsupported by evidence – in opposition to our interlocutory application that the legal costs be paid into Court,” a Giles George spokesperson said.
“The allegations are completely false and should not have been made without a proper basis.”
As CBD previously reported, Edwards has complained to the Law Society of NSW, alleging that Giles George didn’t follow legal professional rules in relation to their costs agreement. An additional complaint to the Office of the NSW Legal Services Commissioner about Giles George was closed on receipt. Meanwhile, Edwards previously told the court that Giles’ firm, known for its PR-forward approach to client representation, had billed her for briefing journalists about the case.
A Current Affair is broadcast by Nine, which also publishes this column.
Australia mentioned!
Erin Molan has gone global.
The broadcaster, dumped by Sky News last year, months after her breakfast radio show on 2Day FM was also axed, was revealed as anchor of Elon Musk’s new online brainfart 69 X Minutes, hosted on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
We were desperate to know the story of how a random Aussie media personality landed that gig, and just how involved the world’s richest internet troll (and person) was in giving the former Footy Show (NRL edition) host a fresh start.
Molan didn’t answer our calls, but instead spilled the beans to the apparently rehabilitated broadcaster Chris Smith on his 2SM morning radio show.
“You have been harassing Elon Musk for years, have you not?” Smith asked Molan.
“Oh my gosh, it’s like borderline stalker – in fact, I’d say if they went to court, they would probably convict me,” she said.
And she’d continued lobbying Musk hard after he announced his plan for 69 X Minutes.
“When he put that out, I think before it had even landed, I sent him three screenshots of it via email to him saying ‘I’m made for this’, and he still has not replied to that, but then this has all happened,” Molan said. But how, we wonder.
“He’s reposted some of my stuff, he clearly knows that I exist, and it’s incredible.”
Once the notoriously fickle Musk inevitably bores of his new show, Canberra could be beckoning for Molan. The daughter of the late Liberal senator Jim Molan told Smith she was mulling a future political career.
“I’ve said no for so many years now, but I think the older I get, the more it is attractive to me. When Eliza’s [Molan’s daughter] a little bit older and I can manage time a little bit better, absolutely.”
Gin and bear it
Gin isn’t the first alcoholic beverage that comes to mind when our thoughts turn to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. But maybe newish Queensland Premier David Crisafulli knows something we don’t.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.Credit: AAP
Parliamentary disclosure logs reveal that when the Liberal National premier visited the Labor prime minister last year, he came bearing a specific gift – a bottle of Queensland gin.
It might be that Crisafulli was aware that The Australian Financial Review reported that Poor Toms Sydney Dry Gin – made in the PM’s home base of Marrickville – was one of Albanese’s top five alcohol purchases for consumption in The Lodge and Kirribilli House in 2022-23, with 25 bottles purchased during his first year in office.
We were unable to drum up details of the social event, or of the brand of gin gifted, but did note that the bottle was not surrendered.
Crisafulli, whose mother Karen and cane-farmer father Antonino “Tony” Crisafulli are of Italian origin, told CBD: “My parents raised me to never turn up empty-handed, and I didn’t miss the opportunity to ensure there was a Queensland product on the prime minister’s shelf.”
In gin, as in rugby league, nothing is as important as state of origin.
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