Kerry Stokes ordered to pay Ben Roberts-Smith’s $13.5m legal costs after failed defamation suit

<p>Seven boss handed bill by federal court after backing the disgraced former soldier in action against Nine Newspapers</p><ul><li><p><strong>Get our </strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl"><strong>breaking news email</strong></a><strong>, </strong><a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3"><strong>free app</strong></a><strong> or </strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl"><strong>daily news podcast</strong></a></p></li></ul><p>Seven West Media’s chair, Kerry Stokes, has been ordered to pay $13.5m in legal costs to companies who were unsuccessfully sued for defamation by disgraced former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith.</p><p>On Tuesday, a federal court registrar ordered that Australian Capital Equity Pty Ltd (ACE), Stokes’ private company, pay costs fixed at almost $13.3m, and a further $225,000 in relation to the costs assessment, bringing the total bill to $13.5m.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/sep/09/kerry-stokes-ordered-to-pay-ben-roberts-smiths-135m-legal-costs-after-failed-defamation-suit">Continue reading...</a>

Read the full article at: The Guardian World →