In what has already been an interesting week where Senator Linda Reynolds will enter mediation with Brittany Higgins and David Shiraz for publishing defamatory material against her and preventing her from publishing further material. Brittany Higgins had previously been a prolific social media user with Twitter and Instagram her accounts of choice.

Senator Linda Reynolds has settled with the Australian Capital Territory government, received a formal apology for comments made by former Public Prosecutor Shane Drumgold and received $90,000 in compensation that includes legal costs. Former Public Prosecutor Shane Drumgold accused Senator Linda Reynolds of [suspected] political interference after she sought transcripts of the testimony given by Brittany Higgins in the trial. Shane Drumgold later withdrew the accusation during a Board of Enquiry of how the trial was handled. 

Both Brittany Higgins and David Shiraz have now returned to Australia from France to enter face to face mediation with Senator Linda Reynolds beginning today. Should both Higgins and Sharaz fail to apologise and refrain from publishing defamatory material, then they are looking at a six week trial in the Western Australian Supreme Court. What Higgins may learn is defamation, whilst a tricky business, may be her undoing. You cannot just make unfounded accusations in social media, whilst David Sharaz and Brittany Higgins believe they excuse power, they may just be horribly wrong.