Brittany Higgins Ordered to Pay Bulk of Linda Reynolds’ Legal Fees After Devastating Defamation Ruling
- Former senator Linda Reynolds wins defamation case against Brittany Higgins, with Higgins ordered to pay 80% of Reynolds’ legal costs
- Higgins’ social media posts found to be defamatory, with damages of $315,000 plus $26,109 interest awarded to Reynolds
- Higgins had offered to pay Reynolds $200,000 as a contribution to her legal costs, but it was rejected
Brittany Higgins, the former staffer who accused her ex-boss Linda Reynolds of mishandling her rape allegation, has been ordered to pay the bulk of Reynolds’ legal costs after losing a defamation case.
Last month, the Western Australian Supreme Court found that Higgins’ social media posts were defamatory and awarded damages of $315,000 plus $26,109 interest to Reynolds. The court has now ruled that Higgins must pay 80% of Reynolds’ legal costs, which are yet to be determined.
In a shocking twist, it was revealed that Higgins had offered to pay Reynolds $200,000 as a contribution to her legal costs in 2024, just days before the pair went to trial. However, Reynolds rejected the offer.
The defamation case centered around Higgins’ allegations that Reynolds had engaged in a campaign of harassment against her, mishandled her rape allegation against Bruce Lehrmann, and engaged in questionable conduct during Lehrmann’s aborted criminal trial for rape.
Higgins alleged Lehrmann raped her in the senator’s ministerial suite, a claim that a Federal Court judge later found to be true on the balance of probabilities. However, Lehrmann has always denied the allegations and is currently appealing the finding.
The dramatic ruling comes just months after Reynolds won her defamation case against Higgins, marking a devastating blow for the former staffer.
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