Kerry Stokes to pay costs of Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation case

Ben Roberts-Smith, a recipient of the Victoria Cross, lost his federal court defamation case against three newspapers that he alleged defamed him as a war criminal. He has consistently denied wrongdoing and is appealing the decision. Photograph: Rick Rycroft/AP

Seven West Media’s chairman, Kerry Stokes, has agreed to pay the costs of Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation action, in a move that will prevent the network from having to hand over thousands of internal documents about the case.

The federal court heard on Monday that Stokes had agreed to pay the costs of the case. Justice Anthony Besanko ordered that Stokes’ private company Australian Capital Equity (ACE) pay them on an indemnity basis.