Daily London
The date of the act of bankruptcy was backdated to October 8.
“(The estate will) be handed over to the trustee of the bankruptcy who will take control of her affairs and deal with the creditors in due course,” Reynolds’ lawyer Rachel Ross told reporters outside the court in Perth.
Higgins was also ordered to pay 80 per cent of her former boss’ legal costs, which are estimated to be more than $1 million.
Reynolds’ lawyer, Martin Bennett, previously said the bankruptcy would allow Reynolds to find out how much of Higgins’ commonwealth settlement remained as she attempted to recoup her legal costs for the defamation case.
Higgins apologised to Reynolds after the former defence minister emerged victorious from the duo’s high-profile five-week defamation trial.
Justice Paul Tottle found Higgins’ social media posts carried an array of imputations.
The 360-page judgment made factual findings about the events involving Reynolds and Higgins, including her alleged 2019 rape and the events in the years after it.
Higgins made 26 false or misleading statements in media interviews after her alleged sexual assault, the judgment said.
She alleges former co-worker Lehrmann raped her in the senator’s ministerial suite.
A Federal Court judge overseeing a defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by her former co-worker in the office.
Lehrmann has lost an appeal against that finding but has flagged taking the case to the High Court.
He denies the rape allegation, and his criminal trial was derailed by juror misconduct.
Higgins’ husband, David Sharaz, was also served with a bankruptcy notice by Reynolds and is expected to declare bankruptcy.
He was also found to have defamed the former politician and was ordered to pay $85,000 in damages plus interest and costs.
