Ben Roberts-Smith ordered to pay Nine costs

Former Australian soldier and Seven network executive Ben Roberts-Smith has been ordered to pay the legal costs of media outlets party following his failed defamation action.

But a magistrate found the newspapers had proven to a civil standard – on the balance of probabilities – that Roberts-Smith was complicit in the murder of four unarmed prisoners while serving in Afghanistan, including kicking a handcuffed man, a father of six named Ali Jan, off a cliff before ordering him shot dead.

Yesterday Roberts-Smith was ordered to pay the outlets’ legal costs estimated at exceeding $25m.

Roberts-Smith is also appealing the defamation decision to the full bench of the federal court, to be heard in February.

Roberts-Smith, who resigned from Seven in June, is also the subject of an upcoming Stan documentary, Ben Roberts-Smith: Truth On Trial to screen on December 10.

Source: The Guardian