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Politics
Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia

Moira Deeming’s defamation win shows nobody can play fast and loose with language – not even politicians

It has been a busy year for defamation lawyers. There has been a mixed bag of outcomes, too.

The two highest profile cases delivered different results: a win for independent MP Alex Greenwich in his suit against fellow parliamentarian Mark Latham, but a loss for Bruce Lehrmann in his defamation action against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

The latest case (which began in the Federal Court in September this year) has seen a win for Moira Deeming, a former Liberal Legislative Council MP, who sued a fellow Liberal, Victoria’s Opposition Leader John Pesutto. She was seeking damages for comments he made in reference to her appearance at an anti-trans rights rally in March 2023.

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