Australia's second longest-running defamation case was finalised on Thursday when the judgment in the case brought by Ben Roberts-Smith against three newspapers was delivered.
Ben Roberts-Smith leaving the Federal Court in Sydney in May 2022. His case has been called the 'trial of the century'.On Thursday, one of Australia’s longest-running defamation cases finally came to an end, with the judgment in the case brought by Ben Roberts-Smith against three major newspapers delivered by a Federal Court judge.
The case was also a test of Australia’s defamation laws and the defence of truth, which the newspapers relied on during the trial.He is Australia’s most decorated living soldier and a veteran of the Afghanistan war. Mr Roberts-Smith's barrister, Arthur Moses, SC described his client as a highly-trained and experienced soldier whose reputation of courage, skill and decency had been "destroyed" by the media reports.
He was not charged over any of this alleged conduct and no findings have been made against him in a criminal court.By relying on a defence of truth, one of the options in Australian defamation cases. The newspapers maintained their claims were true and put forward witnesses, including soldiers and Afghan civilians, to support their claims.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ben Roberts-Smith leaves Australia ahead of defamation trial decisionEXCLUSIVE: The decorated war veteran has been photographed poolside in Bali at a $500-a-night resort. 9News
Read more »
Ben Roberts-Smith leaves Australia ahead of defamation trial decisionAfter a long-running trial, a judgment will be handed down today in the defamation case involving Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith and Nine newspapers. vella_lara 9News MORE:
Read more »
Newspapers proved Ben Roberts-Smith is a war criminal, court findsFormer Special Air Service Regiment solider Ben Roberts-Smith has been found by the Federal Court to have murdered unarmed Afghans, and a major defamation action he launched against newspapers who published stories about his conduct has been dismissed.
Read more »
Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation claims thrown outBREAKING: A Federal Court judge has found Ben Roberts-Smith did commit war crimes in Afghanistan. The court found he murdered or was complicit in the murder of four unarmed Afghans. 9News DETAILS:
Read more »
‘The biggest defamation case we’ve had’: Judgment day in Roberts-Smith caseOne of the nation’s biggest defamation judgments will be delivered on Thursday when the Federal Court rules on Ben Roberts-Smith’s multimillion-dollar case five years after the decorated former soldier filed the lawsuit.
Read more »
Australia politics live: cities lead house price recovery; day of judgment in Ben Roberts-Smith defamation caseAustralia politics live: cities lead house price recovery; day of judgment for Ben Roberts-Smith
Read more »