Australian Politics Forum - Ben loses appeal

Bobby.

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 116313
Melbourne
Gender: male

Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
May 16^th, 2025 at 4:12pm

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04en9wllpxo

Top Australian soldier loses appeal over war crimes defamation case

2 hours ago

His defamation case - which some have dubbed "the trial of the century" in Australia -
lasted over 120 days and is now rumoured to have cost up to A$35m ($22.5m; £16.9m).

A panel of three Federal Court judges on Friday unanimously upheld the original judgement, though Mr Roberts-Smith has said he will appeal the decision to the High Court of Australia "immediately".

"I continue to maintain my innocence and deny these egregious spiteful allegations," he said in a statement.

Mr Roberts-Smith, who left the defence force in 2013, has not been charged over any of the claims in a criminal court, where there is a higher burden of proof.

The former special forces corporal sued three Australian newspapers over a series of articles alleging serious misconduct while he was deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012 as part of a US-led military coalition.

Back to top

IP Logged

Bobby. Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 116313 Melbourne Gender:	Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far Reply #1 - May 16^th, 2025 at 4:14pm What a lawyers picnic - $35 million for words.
Back to top	IP Logged

Daves2017

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 2956
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #2 - May 16^th, 2025 at 4:42pm

Has he lost all available way too appeal now?

He was only a corporal, who is/ was responsible for this force?

Why are they being protected. They need to be named and shamed.

Not just a corporal.

The little I know suggests a terrible lack of command over there.

Undisciplined, poor hygiene, no leadership of any quality.

That’s why the Taliban won in the end.

Don’t blame the soldiers. Look closely at the quality of leadership that allow these crimes to occur.

Back to top

« Last Edit: May 16^th, 2025 at 4:50pm by Daves2017 »

I’ll just keep dancing at the Pink Pony Club

IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 116313
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #3 - May 16^th, 2025 at 4:51pm

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-16/nsw-ben-roberts-smith-defamation-appeal-d...

War veteran Ben Roberts-Smith says he will "immediately" seek a High Court challenge
to the Federal Court's dismissal of an appeal against his long-running defamation case,
which found him complicit in war crimes on the balance of probabilities

Back to top

IP Logged

Daves2017

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 2956
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #4 - May 16^th, 2025 at 4:51pm

Daves2017 wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 4:42pm:

Has he lost all available way too appeal now?

He was only a corporal, who is/ was responsible for this force?

Why are they being protected. They need to be named and shamed.

Not just a corporal.

The little I know suggests a terrible lack of command over there.

Undisciplined, poor hygiene, no leadership of any quality.

That’s why the Taliban won in the end.

Don’t blame the soldiers. Look closely at the quality of leadership that allow these crimes to occur.

Back to top

I’ll just keep dancing at the Pink Pony Club

IP Logged

lee Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 19814 Gender:	Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far Reply #5 - May 16^th, 2025 at 5:45pm Daves2017 wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 4:42pm: Look closely at the quality of leadership that allow these crimes to occur. You can't blame the leadership, they gave themselves combat medals. /sarc
Back to top	IP Logged

Daves2017

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 2956
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #6 - May 16^th, 2025 at 5:47pm

Bobby. wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 4:51pm:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-16/nsw-ben-roberts-smith-defamation-appeal-d...

War veteran Ben Roberts-Smith says he will "immediately" seek a High Court challenge
to the Federal Court's dismissal of an appeal against his long-running defamation case,
which found him complicit in war crimes on the balance of probabilities

The poor bugger is nothing more than a scapegoat imo

Back to top

I’ll just keep dancing at the Pink Pony Club

IP Logged

Frank

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 55962
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #7 - May 16^th, 2025 at 5:49pm

Daves2017 wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 4:51pm:

Daves2017 wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 4:42pm:

Has he lost all available way too appeal now?

He was only a corporal, who is/ was responsible for this force?

Why are they being protected. They need to be named and shamed.

Not just a corporal.

The little I know suggests a terrible lack of command over there.

Undisciplined, poor hygiene, no leadership of any quality.

That’s why the Taliban won in the end.

Don’t blame the soldiers. Look closely at the quality of leadership that allow these crimes to occur.

Criminalizing the killing of the enemy by soldiers who are sent to the very point end of wars to... er.... kill the enemy is disgusting.
No wonder ADF recruitment are tanking.

Also note:
Mr Roberts-Smith, who left the defence force in 2013, has not been charged over any of the claims in a criminal court, where there is a higher burden of proof.

Back to top

Estragon: I can’t go on like this.
Vladimir: That’s what you think.

IP Logged

Bobby.

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 116313
Melbourne
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #8 - May 16^th, 2025 at 5:51pm

Daves2017 wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 5:47pm:

Bobby. wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 4:51pm:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-16/nsw-ben-roberts-smith-defamation-appeal-d...

War veteran Ben Roberts-Smith says he will "immediately" seek a High Court challenge
to the Federal Court's dismissal of an appeal against his long-running defamation case,
which found him complicit in war crimes on the balance of probabilities

The poor bugger is nothing more than a scapegoat imo

They shot Breaker Morant for executing POWs.

Back to top

IP Logged

John Smith Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 78311 Gender:	Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far Reply #9 - May 16^th, 2025 at 8:32pm Frank wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 5:49pm: Criminalizing the killing of the enemy by soldiers w you mean killing unarmed people who have their arms tied behind their backs they're soldiers, not executioners.
Back to top	Our esteemed leader: I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus. IP Logged

philperth2010 Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 21097 Perth Gender:	Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far Reply #10 - May 16^th, 2025 at 8:44pm Big Ben would have been better off not bringing defamation proceedings and remained in dignified silence....He obviously believes he did nothing wrong???
Back to top	If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them. Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992) IP Logged

Frank

Gold Member

Online

Australian Politics

Posts: 55962
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #11 - May 16^th, 2025 at 8:45pm

John Smith wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 8:32pm:

Frank wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 5:49pm:

Criminalizing the killing of the enemy by soldiers w

you mean killing unarmed people who have their arms tied behind their backs

they're soldiers, not executioners.

Enemy.

We sent them to kill the enemy.
They did. Good.

Back to top

Estragon: I can’t go on like this.
Vladimir: That’s what you think.

IP Logged

Frank Gold Member Online Australian Politics Posts: 55962 Gender:	Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far Reply #12 - May 16^th, 2025 at 8:46pm philperth2010 wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 8:44pm: Big Ben would have been better off not bringing defamation proceedings and remaind in dignified silence....He obviously believes he did nothing wrong??? He didn't. He killed the enemy he was sent to kill
Back to top	Estragon: I can’t go on like this. Vladimir: That’s what you think. IP Logged

John Smith

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 78311
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #13 - May 16^th, 2025 at 8:48pm

Frank wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 8:45pm:

John Smith wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 8:32pm:

Frank wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 5:49pm:

Criminalizing the killing of the enemy by soldiers w

you mean killing unarmed people who have their arms tied behind their backs

they're soldiers, not executioners.

Enemy.

We sent them to kill the enemy.
They did. Good.

only in your head. They were sent to defeat the enemy, not kill them. There's a difference

Back to top

Our esteemed leader:
I hope that bitch who was running their brothels for them gets raped with a cactus.

IP Logged

philperth2010

Gold Member

Offline

Australian Politics

Posts: 21097
Perth
Gender: male

Re: Ben loses appeal - costs $35 million so far
Reply #14 - May 16^th, 2025 at 8:50pm

Frank wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 8:46pm:

philperth2010 wrote on May 16^th, 2025 at 8:44pm:

Big Ben would have been better off not bringing defamation proceedings and remaind in dignified silence....He obviously believes he did nothing wrong???

Huh

He didn't. He killed the enemy he was sent to kill

It's costing him a lot of money....Like I said he believes he is innocent....I have not taken any side!!!

Huh

Back to top

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Isaac Asimov (1920 - 1992)

IP Logged