Overview

• A Federal Court registrar set the newspapers’ trial costs at $13.3 million plus about $225,000 in assessment fees, totaling roughly $13.5 million payable by Ben Roberts‑Smith and Kerry Stokes’ Australian Capital Equity.
• The assessment follows the High Court’s refusal to hear a further appeal, leaving intact findings that the newspapers proved their truth defence and ending the defamation litigation.
• The Full Court in May upheld Justice Anthony Besanko’s 2023 judgment and ordered Roberts‑Smith to pay the media companies’ appeal costs on the ordinary basis.
• Kerry Stokes privately bankrolled the trial and agreed to indemnify trial costs at a high level, while the media companies have subpoenaed Gina Rinehart for documents on any appeal funding.
• Nine can draw on $910,000 already paid into court as security for appeal costs, though the source of those funds has not been disclosed.