News

Seven and Harrison head back to court as Fairfax and News ask for injunction to be dropped

Fairfax and and News Corp have entered the court battle between Seven and Amber Harrison asking for an injunction to be dropped so they can get her side of the story.

Harrison, the former lover of the group’s CEO Tim Worner, has made various claims of bullying, mistreatment and illicit drug use against the network and its staff since December 2016.

The hearing in the NSW Supreme Court before Justice Robert McDougall was standing room only this morning as media and other parties jockeyed for a spot to hear the case where Seven was seeking a permanent injunction against Harrison discussing the matter while Harrison sought for the injunction, initially granted last week, to be dropped.

While Harrison was missing – reportedly in Melbourne – the start of the hearing was delayed after her barrister was stuck in traffic.

During the delay counsel acting for Fairfax and Nationwide News – the subdivision of News Corp which publishes The Daily Telegraph – sought leave to appeal the injunction saying the media companies were being thwarted in covering the story by not being able to approach Harrison for comment.

Acting for the publishers, the barrister, Matthew Lewis said the companies were prevented from doing so for fear of being in contempt of court.

He noted that in the past week there had been commentary from Seven director Jeff Kennett, both on social media platform Twitter and in The Australian, and from Seven Chairman Kerry Stokes but Harrison was unable to respond.

Seven’s legal counsel countered the claim saying the news companies were simply seeking to reduce further breaches of what it believes is a confidential employment matter.

Last week Seven was successful in gaining an injunction against Harrison from releasing documents on Twitter relating to her fight with the network following the end of her affair with Worner and subsequently her employment with the group.

The injunction was granted after she used Twitter to share receipts and messages relating her to relationship with Worner and accusations by Seven that she had stolen from the company using her corporate card.

During the brief hearing this morning Harrison’s counsel, James Catlin, handed over a USB containing some 900 pages of documents relating to the case.

The hearing was further confused by the appearance of two more barristers acting on behalf of two other women Harrison has named in her claims, with both seeking leave to have their names redacted from any documents made public.

The appearance of the two barristers and the counsel for News and Fairfax prompted Justice McDougall to ask if any further parties wanting to involve themselves in the case, promoting laughter from the court.

“Does anyone else here want to involve themselves in this matter?” he asked

The hearing continues later today.

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.