Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds is pursuing a defamation motion towards Brittany Higgins’ associate David Sharaz.
In a writ lodged with the Supreme Court docket of Western Australia, the senator claimed Mr Sharaz falsely defamed her through two tweets posted in 2022.
Ms Higgins alleged she was raped in 2019 by Bruce Lehrmann inside Senator Reynolds’ ministerial workplace, for whom they each labored as staffers.
Mr Lehrmann persistently denied the allegation, and his trial within the ACT Supreme Court docket was derailed by juror misconduct.
Prosecutors then determined to not pursue additional motion.
Senator Reynolds on Friday confirmed she engaged “main defamation legal professionals”, and pointed to Mr Sharaz as a “fixed participant” in trolling over Ms Higgins’ case.
‘Broken my fame’
“For the most effective a part of the final two years I’ve been the topic of harassing and extremely distressing trolling on social media concerning myself and my conduct in respect of occasions regarding Ms Brittany Higgins which has broken my fame and brought on me, my household and my employees, appreciable stress and anguish,” Senator Reynolds stated in an announcement to AAP.
“Mr Sharaz has been a continuing participant within the trolling.
“In mild of the conclusion of the felony trial and the decision of the civil motion involving Ms Higgins and the Commonwealth, I’m now at liberty to take steps to vindicate my fame and supply some fact to the issues the topic of those trolling feedback. “
Senator Reynolds was looking for damages together with aggravated damages, an injunction stopping Mr Sharaz from publishing the defamatory materials or related phrases, and curiosity on damages, in keeping with the writ.
Legislation agency Arnold Bloch Leibler confirmed it was advising Mr Sharaz, however stated it will not remark any additional on the matter.
Perth agency Bennett confirmed it was representing Senator Reynolds.
-AAP
