Moira Deeming Wins Defamation Case Against John Pesutto
Moira Deeming has won her defamation case against Victorian Liberal Leader John Pesutto with Federal Court Justice David O’Callaghan awarding her $300,000 in damages. Justice Callaghan found that Pesutto defamed Deeming on five separate occasions. In a 3AW interview, in an ABC TV interview, at a press conference, and in the Liberal Parliamentary party room expulsion motion and error-filled dossier.
The Judgement was livestreamed on the Federal Court’s YouTube with Justice Callaghan delivering a summary with the full judgment published on the Federal Court’s website. A subsequent hearing will be held to determine costs.
Moira Deeming addressed the media in the gardens of Victoria’s Parliament House post the judgement. She stated it was a win not just for her but all women campaigning for sex-based rights and the safeguarding of children who should not be smeared as Nazis and bigots. She expressed her desire to return to the Victorian Liberal Parliamentary partyroom and that John Pesutto had proven himself untrustworthy. Deeming also released a statement on her X account.
MEDIA STATEMENT FROM MOIRA DEEMING MP
— Moira Deeming MP (@MoiraDeemingMP) December 12, 2024
I am grateful to God for this outcome, to the Court for its careful and prompt consideration of my case and to my lawyers whose dedication, expertise and integrity is unmatched.
The Judge found that I was defamed in five separate…
Despite being found to have defamed a parliamentary colleague and ordered to pay her $300,000 in damages and facing a hefty legal bill John Pesutto has said it’s his intention to continue as Victorian Liberal Leader.
How Deeming vs Pesutto Came to Court
The defamation began when John Pesutto launched a campaign to expel Moira Deeming from the Liberal Parliamentary Partyroom in the aftermath of the National Socialist Network attending Let Women Speak on 18 March 2023. Deeming was in attendance and the event which was organised by British TERF activist Kellie-Jay-Keen as part of her Australian tour.
The dossier also defamed Kellie-Jay Keen and another organiser Angie Jones falsely accusing them of having extremist links. Pesutto settled defamation claims brought by Kellie-Jay Keen Angela Jones where he published an apology left on his website for 60 days and paid their legal bills worth $50,000. But a settlement couldn’t be agreed between Moira Deeming and John Pesutto and went to trial.
Moira Deeming was given a 9-month suspension from the partyroom initially. She was later expelled in May 2023 when she threatened legal action over Pesutto’s failure to agree to a joint statement with her where he would state she was not a nazi or white supremacist.
The defamation trial began in the Federal Court in September and lasted three and a half weeks. Sue Chrysanthou SC represented Deeming while Dr Matt Collins AM KC represented Pesutto.
Chrysanthou in her opening statement claimed Pesutto tarred” her client with the “Nazi brush” the media releases, press conferences and radio interviews he gave in his push to expel her from the parliamentary Liberal Party.
Moira Deeming was first elected to the Victorian Parliament at the 2022 state election as a Member for the Western Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council (Upper House).
This article is being updated throughout the day as further developments occur in the aftermath of the judgement
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