US EditionAustralia's Highest Court Denies Afghanistan War Hero Ben Roberts-Smith's Final Appeal
Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation appeal was dismissed after a 110-day trial involving three eyewitnesses and $30 million in legal costs, affirming allegations from a 2009 military incident.
- On Thursday, Australia's High Court refused to hear Ben Roberts‑Smith's appeal against a 2023 civil finding, removing his last legal route to overturn those findings and ending his defamation case against The Age, the Herald and The Canberra Times .
- Roberts‑Smith's defamation case stemmed from allegations he machine‑gunned a man outside Whiskey 108 on Easter Sunday, 2009; the 2021–July 2022 trial spanned 110 days with 41 witnesses and $30 million in legal costs.
- The Full Court emphasised that three eyewitnesses testified to the alleged killing, while Roberts-Smith's team failed to admit a 'secret recording' of David McBride's reporting source .
- Costs rulings show Ben Roberts‑Smith agreed in 2023 to lodge $910,000 as security, the appeal added $4,000,000 in costs, and the Full Court confirmed he must pay the newspapers' legal fees on Thursday.
- The case has left the Australian War Memorial in Canberra adding contextual text to Ben Roberts‑Smith's display after the 2023 judgement, while his seven‑year legal battle, dubbed Australia's 'trial of the century', reportedly cost tens of millions.
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LancasterOnlineReposted by 
Santa Maria Times
Santa Maria TimesMELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia's highest court on Thursday eliminated war hero Ben Roberts-Smith's final chance to clear his name of allegations he unlawfully killed four unarmed Afghans who…
·Lancaster, United States
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Australia’s highest court denies decorated Afghanistan veteran Ben Roberts-Smith’s final appeal
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Australia’s highest court on Thursday removed the last chance for highly decorated veteran Ben Roberts-Smith to clear his name of findings that he unlawfully killed four unarmed Afghans under Australian soldiers' control more than a decade…
·Welland, Canada
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Winnipeg Free PressReposted by 
upstatetoday.com
upstatetoday.comAustralia's highest court denies Afghanistan war hero Ben Roberts-Smith's final appeal
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
·Winnipeg, Canada
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left5Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Left, 42% Center
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources lean Left, 42% of the sources are Center
42% Center
L 42%
C 42%
R 17%
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