Overview
- HWT argued the Herald Sun’s July front pages were legitimate journalistic material in the public interest given Sam Groth’s political ambitions.
- Lawyers for the Groths said the stories were baseless gossip said to have been tipped to an editor by a Liberal MP and not a factual news report.
- Justice Shaun McElwaine reserved a decision on whether to decide the journalist‑exemption issue separately from the full trial and warned of significant costs.
- The parties were directed to mediation on Friday, with a trial scheduled for May 2026.
- The publisher plans a public interest defence to defamation as the articles remain online, while the couple is personally funding the litigation.