What does the Ben Roberts-Smith case mean for journalism?
By Corinne Podger
As Justice Besanko prepared to deliver his decision last week, there were more than 9,000 people watching the live broadcast I was following. Unsurprising, given the national and international interest in the case, and its implications for how public interest journalism is done.
There was extensive coverage of Justice Anthony Besanko’s decision, both in Australia abroad, with the decision covered by the BBC and the Washington Post, among others. You can read the full judgement and summary on the Federal Court of Australia website.
So what are the implications of the trial and case for public interest journalism? Here is a selection of responses we recommend reading:
MEAA welcomes Ben Roberts-Smith defamation judgement — Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, 1 June 2023.
Explainer: What What it took to win the biggest defamation case in Australia’s history — Michael Bachelard, Sydney Morning Herald, 1 June 2023 (paywalled).
What the Ben Roberts-Smith judgement says about defamation law — Professor David Rolph, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney, 2 June 2023.
Opinion: Ben Roberts-Smith decision shows importance of journalism, defamation laws — Mark Kenny, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University, 2 June 2023.
‘Dismissed’: legal experts explain the judgment in the Ben Roberts-Smith defamation case — Ricardo Villegas, Senior Lecturer of Law, and Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia.
Australian Defence Force must ensure the findings against Ben Roberts-Smith are not the end of the story — Dr Dean Aszkielowicz and Paul Taucher, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Murdoch University, 2 June 2023.
