Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial laid bare the brutal reality of Australia’s decades-long war in Afghanistan – now the ex-soldier awaits judgment

Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial against the Age, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Canberra Times began in June 2021. Photograph: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Not with a bang but a whimper. With a simple “this court is adjourned”, Ben Roberts-Smith’s long-running defamation trial was, suddenly, quietly ended.

For a trial steeped in drama and in pathos, that has seen more than 100 days of extraordinary allegation and stunning evidence, it was a prosaic conclusion.