The witnesses – who detailed the killing of villager Ali Jan by Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith – should be believed,despite efforts by the disgraced soldier’s legal team to undermine their credibility,a court has been told.
The barrister acting for the newspapers has told the former soldier’s appeal there were only minor differences in the evidence of witnesses about the death of an Afghan prisoner with a prosthetic leg.
The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have argued an appeal court should not overturn murder findings made against the former SAS corporal.
The war veteran’s bid to overturn a decision dismissing his defamation suit should be rejected,The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald have told an appeal court.
Ben Roberts-Smith’s barrister told an appeal court that a judge should not have found the war veteran ordered the execution of an Afghan prisoner.
The war veteran’s barrister said that a killing may have been lawful even if a court found Australian soldiers planted a Taliban-issued object on an Afghan man’s body.
The former soldier is fighting to overturn a decision dismissing his multimillion-dollar defamation suit,with the appeal slated to run for 10 days.
The battle lines are drawn in the former SAS corporal’s appeal,which starts on Monday and will run for 10 days.
The media industry’s year was filled with shock resignations,succession plans and landmark court rulings.
Kerry Stokes preferred being an apologist for a criminal rather than recognising the value in public interest journalism.
The move will prevent communications between the former soldier’s lawyers and his chief supporters at Seven from being made public.