A high-profile court case between independent MP Monique Ryan and her chief of staff Sally Rugg has been waved off for at least two weeks, as the pair try to reach a settlement in private.
The parties reached an agreement on Friday, enforced by a Commonwealth undertaking, that will see them head to mediation on February 13, before the matter returns to the Federal Court on February 17. Rugg will remain in her job until at least 5pm that day on “miscellaneous leave”.
Rugg, an activist and leading advocate for marriage equality in Australia, launched a suit against Ryan in the Federal Court late last month over an alleged breach of the Fair Work Act’s “general protections” provisions.
As part of the agreement reached on Friday, Rugg’s lawyer requested the court restrict public access to the proceedings before mediation on February 13, for fears access “may hamper settlement at a mediation”. The court will suppress the initiating affidavit and submissions.
“I’m a little reluctant to keep particularly the initiating affidavit suppressed,” Justice Debra Mortimer said on Friday.
“But ultimately, the interests of the administration of justice in a matter like this favour allowing the parties free and informed discussions to try and resolve the entire proceeding.
“So there will, at the moment, be no access to non-parties to any documents filed in this court.”
In documents lodged with the court on January 25, Rugg seeked to prevent Ryan’s attempts to dismiss her following a dispute over working hours.
Rugg claimed she was denied her workplace right of refusing to “work additional hours that were unreasonable” and that the Commonwealth engaged in “hostile conduct in the workplace” as a result.
In court documents, Rugg alleges Ryan was the “principal actor” in the above allegations.
The case will return to court on February 17.
