Linda Reynolds Wins Defamation Case Against Brittany Higgins
After years of accusations, courtroom drama, and public scrutiny, former West Australian senator Linda Reynolds has finally won her defamation case against her former staffer, Brittany Higgins. The case, which has been closely followed across Australia, stemmed from a series of social media posts Higgins made beginning in 2022. Those posts accused Reynolds of mishandling her response to Higgins’s rape allegation and of silencing sexual assault victims.
This defamation trial was not just about money—it was about reputation. Justice Paul Tottle of the WA Supreme Court ruled that three of Higgins’s posts were defamatory, though one was found to be a fair and honestly held opinion. As a result, Higgins was ordered to pay Reynolds $315,000 in damages, along with an additional $26,000 in interest. There may also be further legal costs to determine, which could increase the financial toll significantly.
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Outside the courtroom, Reynolds expressed relief and a sense of vindication. She described the last six years as emotionally devastating, saying her health and political career had been deeply affected. She emphasized that this legal action was never about financial gain but about defending her reputation, which she felt had been unfairly tarnished. In her words, it had felt like a “political hit job,” and she compared herself to a “punching clown,” battered repeatedly by the scandal but determined not to give up.
Higgins, now living overseas, released a statement of her own. She accepted that Reynolds’s feelings were hurt, apologized, and expressed gratitude that the long legal chapter had come to an end. Higgins said she was looking forward to moving on, healing, and rebuilding her life with her family after years of public and personal challenge.
This outcome adds another layer to the already complex and painful saga that began in 2019 when Higgins alleged she had been raped in Reynolds’s parliamentary office by colleague Bruce Lehrmann. Lehrmann has always denied the allegation. Criminal proceedings against him were abandoned due to juror misconduct and concerns for Higgins’s wellbeing, but in a separate civil case last year, Justice Michael Lee found on the balance of probabilities that Higgins had indeed been raped. Lehrmann’s appeal of that finding is still before the courts.
Throughout Reynolds’s defamation trial, the court heard days of emotional testimony. Reynolds insisted she had supported Higgins, providing her with access to counselling and opportunities to continue working. But she also spoke openly about the severe toll the allegations had taken—on her health, her reputation, and her political life. Ultimately, she left politics altogether, announcing she would not recontest her Senate seat.
For both women, this judgment marks an ending of sorts. Reynolds leaves the court with her reputation legally defended, while Higgins acknowledges the harm caused and seeks a path toward personal recovery. What remains clear is that this case, and the events behind it, will be remembered as a defining political and personal scandal in modern Australian history.
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