Gateway Pundit, run by Jim Hoft, is being sued for defamation by Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss and others The Gateway Pundit, a rightwing website known for spreading election conspiracies, will declare bankruptcy as it faces lawsuits for defamation. The site’s parent company, TGP Communications, will file for bankruptcy in Florida “as a result of the progressive liberal lawfare attacks against our media outlet”, founder Jim Hoft wrote on the website ..read more

Defamation is often used to silence women and the media speaking out on gender-based violence. Hopefully this decision deters such cases In the much-anticipated cause celebre defamation case, Justice Michael Lee found that Bruce Lehrmann did rape Brittany Higgins. Finally, vindication for Higgins – and for Lisa Wilkinson and Ten, as they won the Lehrmann case on the defence of truth. “The federal court has found that I published a true story about a rape at a federal minister’s office at Parliament House in March 2019. I sincerely hope that this judgment gives strength to women around the coun ..read more

This blog is now closed. Full report: Bruce Lehrmann ‘hellbent on having sex’ with Brittany Higgins and raped her in Parliament House, defamation judge finds A ‘hapless’ Bumble date, Qing dynasty ceramics and the Algonquin round table: the best lines from the Bruce Lehrmann verdict Bruce Lehrmann and Lisa Wilkinson have both arrived into courtroom one on the 21st level of the federal court building in central Sydney. Lehrmann is sitting at the bench, alongside his legal team, while Wilkinson is sitting on the other side of the courtroom in the front row of the gallery, in a row of red reserv ..read more

Speaking after Justice Michael Lee found former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann was not defamed by Lisa Wilkinson and Ten in an interview with Brittany Higgins Monday 15 February 2021 — in which she alleged she was raped in Parliament House — Wilkinson said she hoped the ruling gave 'hope to women around the country'. 'Today the federal court has found that I published a true story about a rape in a federal minister's office at Parliament House in March of 2019,' Wilkinson said Bruce Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, judge finds on balance of probabilities ..read more

Scientist wins award against conservative writers who said his work was ‘fraudulent’ and that he ‘molested and tortured’ data The high-profile climate scientist Michael Mann has been awarded $1m by a jury in a defamation lawsuit against two conservative writers who compared his depictions of global heating to the work of a convicted child molester. The case stretches back 12 years. In a statement posted on Mann’s X account, one of his lawyers said: “Today’s verdict vindicates Mike Mann’s good name and reputation. It also is a big victory for truth and scientists everywhere who dedicate their l ..read more

Lawyer for Roberts-Smith argues phrase did not necessarily indicate illegitimate killing and casts doubt on evidence from Afghan locals Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial was given no evidence that “blooding the rookie” could only mean procuring a murder, the war veteran’s lawyers have argued. On Tuesday morning, Roberts-Smith’s barrister, Bret Walker SC, raised issue with Justice Anthony Besanko’s finding in June that Roberts-Smith, while a member of the Special Air Service Regiment in 2009, ordered a less experienc ..read more

Soldier’s barrister argues federal court justice made errors in reasoning when he found Roberts-Smith complicit in murder of Afghan men Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The suggestion two insurgents killed during a raid involving Ben Roberts-Smith were unarmed prisoners was speculation and in contradiction with an official military document, an appeals court has heard. Roberts-Smith was in court on Monday as his legal team appealed against his defamation loss against the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times ..read more

Ex-Liberal MP suing party leader over comments he made after she spoke at anti-trans rights rally gatecrashed by neo-Nazis Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The Victorian opposition leader, John Pesutto, is expected to face court during a two-week defamation trial in September, as a federal court judge raised concerns about the number of claims MP Moira Deeming has made against him. At a court hearing in Melbourne on Friday, Justice Michael Wheelahan ordered a single 10-day trial be run from 16 Sep ..read more

I have suffered dreadful abuse online since winning my libel action, but the message is clear: defamation has consequences On Tuesday on Sky News, I was asked by Kay Burley if I had any sympathy for Laurence Fox. I nearly said yes. But that night, he was back to tweeting about my cock. What a difference 12 hours can make. If you’re new to this saga, I’ve just won a libel battle against Fox in the high court. I sued him for calling me a paedophile in October 2020. He retaliated, countersuing me for calling him a racist (apparently Mr Free Speech Absolutist is not so keen on speech that he does ..read more

Defamation lawsuit, filed by nephew of Greece’s prime minister, described as ‘disgraceful’ by press freedom groups Journalists and media outlets who revealed a wiretapping scandal that rocked Greece’s centre-right government have appeared in court on charges of defamation, in what many have described as a critical day for press freedom in the country. The lawsuit, which came after media revelations that the phones of politicians, businessmen and media figures were being tapped, was filed by the nephew of prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who, as the leader’s chief of staff, had been in charge ..read more