Senator Linda Reynolds, her ex-staffer Brittany Higgins and her fiance David Sharaz will soon come face-to-face for forced mediation talks in a last-ditch effort to settle their legal fight and avoid an arduous trial.
Ms Reynolds launched legal proceedings against Ms Higgins in the WA Supreme Court, claiming her ex-employee defamed her in two social media posts in July last year.
She also accused Ms Higgins of breaching a non-disparagement clause in a deed of settlement and release they signed in March 2021.
Their dispute stems from allegations Ms Higgins made that she was raped by fellow Canberra staffer Bruce Lehrmann in Ms Reynolds’ office.
A trial against Mr Lehrmann was aborted following juror misconduct, then a retrial was dumped due to fears for Ms Higgins’ mental health, leading to the charge being dropped.
Mr Lehrmann has always vehemently denied Ms Higgins’ claim.
In one social media post, Ms Higgins said Senator Reynolds continued “to harass me through the media and in the parliament”.
Senator Reynolds claims she suffered loss and damage as a result of the posts.
Ms Reynolds also began legal action against Mr Sharaz, claiming he defamed her in five social media posts in December 2022 and January 2023.
Among the defamatory imputations claimed against Mr Sharaz’s posts were that Senator Reynolds pressured Ms Higgins not to proceed with a complaint to police, “is a hypocrite in her advocacy for women’s interests and empowerment”, and interfered in Mr Lehrmann’s trial.
Justice Marcus Solomon has repeatedly called for the two matters to be dealt with via mediation rather than a trial.
During one occasion he said the “human cost of litigation” loomed large.
The two-day mediation talks will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The face-to-face mediation means Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz had to return to Australia from France where they moved late last year.
If the mediation talks do not settle the respective cases, the matters will go to a six-week trial in July.