Brittany Higgins has filed an appeal against a recent ruling by the Western Australia Supreme Court, which found that she defamed former Liberal senator Linda Reynolds through social media posts. Justice Paul Tottle determined that Higgins had indeed defamed Reynolds and ordered her to pay $315,000 in damages, along with over $26,000 in interest. This ruling came after a trial in Perth last year, where Reynolds accused her former staffer of orchestrating a campaign to damage her political career.

The legal battle has taken a significant emotional and financial toll on both women. Reynolds's lawyer indicated that the total legal costs could exceed $1 million. Earlier this month, Justice Tottle also ordered Higgins to cover Reynolds's legal expenses. Just days before the trial commenced, Higgins attempted to settle the matter for $200,000.

Higgins's appeal was filed on Wednesday, the final day allowed for such action. In her notice, she contests both the defamation ruling and the order requiring her to pay 80 percent of Reynolds's legal costs, labeling it as "unreasonable."

The legal dispute began after Higgins made social media posts in 2022 that Reynolds claimed damaged her reputation and caused her significant distress, particularly during a time of ill health. Higgins alleged that she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Reynolds's Parliament House office while working for the senator. A separate civil defamation case against Lehrmann concluded last year, with Justice Michael Lee finding the rape allegation credible on the balance of probabilities.

Reynolds has never disputed Higgins's claims regarding Lehrmann. Following the court's decision, Higgins expressed gratitude that the matter had reached a conclusion. She acknowledged that Reynolds's feelings were hurt by the events surrounding her alleged assault and expressed remorse for that pain. Higgins stated that she looks forward to healing and rebuilding her life with her family.