JK Rowling has weighed in on the legal battle that engulfed the Victorian Liberal Party by congratulating Moira Deeming on her emphatic victory in the long-running defamation battle against Opposition Leader John Pesutto.
Harry Potter author JK Rowling has weighed in on the legal drama that has engulfed the Victorian Liberal Party since March last year, congratulating Moira Deeming on her massive defamation win.
The exiled Liberal MP was vindicated on Thursday, when Justice David O’Callaghan ruled that Opposition Leader John Pesutto had defamed her as someone who sympathises and associates with Nazis.
In a emphatic 245-page judgement, Justice O’Callaghan found the Victorian Liberal leader had defamed Ms Deeming in a series media interviews and public comments made in the wake of a Let Women Speak rally that was gate-crashed by Nazis.
The judge rejected all of the defences Mr Pesutto’s lawyers had used in the case, accusing the ordering that he would have to pay $300,000 in damages – a sum likely to be dwarfed by the costs awards the judge is expected to make.
Moira Deeming was vindicated on Thursday when Justice David O’Callaghan ruled that Opposition Leader John Pesutto had defamed her as someone who sympathises and associates with Nazis.
JK Rowling congratulated Ms Deeming on her victory in a post on X where she joked it was another loss for people who claim they are on the “right side of history”.
“The ‘right side of history’ is racking up a hell of a lot of losses recently, isn’t it? Congratulations Moira Deeming,” Rowling said, ending the post with three clapping hands emojis.
The Harry Potter author has become a controversial figure in recent years due to her opposition to trans women (biological men who identify as women) being allowed into women’s spaces.
This was the same topic that was the focus of the Let Women Speak rally that led to Ms Deeming’s expulsion from the Victorian Parliamentary Liberal Party and ignited the defamation battle.
A key part of the case was the claims Mr Pesutto made about the organisers of the Let Women Speak rally – such as British activist Kellie Jay Keen and Melbourne feminist Angie Jones – which were used as a justification for claims he made about Ms Deeming.
Independent MP Moira Deeming has been “vindicated” in the Federal Court simply for speaking at a rally defending women’s rights, according to Sky News host Peta Credlin.
Mr Pesutto, responding to the ruling, said he respected the court’s decision, but that he was committed to continuing as Liberal leader.
“Now today’s decision by the federal court is obviously a very disappointing outcome but I respect the court’s decision so I do accept that,” the Opposition Leader said.
When pressed on the many findings the Judge had made about Mr Pesutto’s conduct, including that he was “infuriatingly unresponsive” when giving evidence in the case, the Liberal Leader said he did not want to continue to focus on the matter.
“I just don’t see the point in reviewing matters which have been concluded by today’s decision,” he said.
