A wonderful piece in the Australia Newspaper by Stephen Rice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the moment she decided to use the media instead of the police and the courts to tell her story, Brittany Higgins has been given extraordinary latitude to say whatever she wishes, whenever she wishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just as Linda Reynolds stepped into the witness box to begin her evidence on Monday, Brittany Higgins launched her own dramatic early entry into the case, posting on Instagram the cover of a new book with the subtitle How the Law Silences Women. \u201cPertinent reading\u201d, Higgins headlined the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her timing was impeccable, albeit two weeks before it was her turn to take the stand. Higgins sees herself as a disrupter, and her social media hijacking of the event achieved its purpose, dominating media coverage of the day Reynolds had hoped would provide some clear air to state her case. Higgins elbowing her way to the forefront of the news coverage of the case delighted her loyal Instagram base, but in the real world her intervention highlighted the absurdity of her message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Higgins has not been silenced, by the law or by anyone else. It is difficult to think of any complainant in any criminal or civil matter who has been more outspoken about their own case \u2013 or who has been more indulged by the legal system in flouting basic rules of fairness regularly enforced on others. That perception was reinforced this week when judge Paul Tottle appeared to let Higgins\u2019s provocative post through to the keeper, suggesting he would deal with it in submissions \u201cwhen the time comes\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Higgins\u2019s lawyer, Rachael Young SC, said the post had nothing to do with the case, perhaps with her tongue planted firmly in her cheek, but promised to \u201cspeak to\u201d her client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nThe truth is, Higgins has been snubbing her nose at the legal system for years and getting away with it. From the moment she decided to use the media instead of the police and the courts to tell her story, Higgins has been given extraordinary latitude to say whatever she wishes, whenever she wishes \u2013 all the while claiming she\u2019s being gagged. When Higgins \u00addelayed giving a formal statement to police, causing significant problems for the investigation, she and her partner David Sharaz were organising with journalists and Labor politicians to tell her story in the most explosive and politically damaging way possible for the Morrison government.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n