Former senator David Leyonhjelm to pay Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s legal costs

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Former senator David Leyonhjelm has not been issued with a court-order preventing him from repeating defamatory remarks about Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, but he will have to pay her legal costs.

In his written judgment, Federal Court Justice Richard White refused Senator Hanson-Young’s proposed injunction order that would prevent Mr Leyonhjelm from repeating the defamatory statements.

He then awarded costs in her favour, bringing the saga to an end.

Justice White also criticised Mr Leyonhjelm’s lawyers for using his reply to a settlement offer to belittle Senator Hanson-Young.

He questioned why “solicitors acting with the respect and civility … would have chosen to express themselves in such a way”.

“It is one thing for Mr Leyonhjelm to make the belittling statements concerning Senator Hanson-Young … it is another for his solicitors, bound by the professional conduct rules, to engage in conduct of that character,” he said.

But he said it had no bearing on his decision to award legal costs to Senator Hanson-Young.

Last November, Justice White found Mr Leyonhjelm defamed Senator Hanson-Young over comments he made suggesting she was a misandrist and a hypocrite.

Senator Hanson-Young was awarded $120,000 in compensation, which she pledged would go to charity.