Geoffrey Rush Inca attempt to hear proof of the new "X Witness"

Published

November 02 2018, 19:12:17

At Geoffrey Rush's expedition trial, new potential defense witnesses were formed after the settlement negotiations between the parties were unsuccessful, as the court heard.

The Oscar-winning actor included National News and one of his journalists, Jonathan Moran, at the Daily Telegraph newspaper, claiming that King Lear was ill-behaved toward a young female president.

The Federal Court filed a petition on Friday with a request to add a new defense witness, whom the judge has ruled that he can only be called a "witness X".

The national news correspondent, Tom Blackburn SC, said court proceedings with Mr Rush have been going on for some time, but they have not gone anywhere.

He said after negotiations failed to resolve something, the newspaper decided on Tuesday to call for a change in defense, including the addition of a new witness.

New witness, big delay

Justice Michael Wigney said that changing the defense at a late stage of the negotiation would mean that a new trial should be held and perhaps not until 2019.

He said it could be unfair to Mr. Rush, who was to be summoned to the evidence after having stayed in the witness box for three days.

The court ruled that Mr. Rush could be personally, commercially and financially disadvantaged because of the delay in the case.

At some point, Justice Wigney expressed his frustration as the publisher dealt with his case, saying to his legal team:

"Your client published it, maybe you should have done more research before it was published."

The judge maintained his decision on the publisher's request.

The blasting talks will continue on Monday, and the court's expert report will reveal Rush's search potentials.

Mr Rush, 67, says The Daily Telegraph articles that appeared in 2017 have been depicted as a perimeter and sexual predator in the Sydney Teatre Company.

The stories are accused of harassing a younger resident biographer – later Eryn Jean Norvill, 34, who played Cordelia in the lead role of Mr Rush.

Mrs Norvill, who testified at the beginning of the week, returned to court for today's hearing.

Topic:

law of crime and justice,

courts-and-trials

art and entertainment,

theater,

printed media,

information and communication,

Sydney 2000