Liberal minister Christian Porter’s defamation barrister has denied breaching her professional duties by acting for him despite having previously given advice to a potential witness in the case.
Sydney high-profile defamation silk Sue Chrysanthou, SC, said she gave advice for free to Joe Dyer, the friend of the woman who accused Mr Porter of rape on 20 November last year and on 27-28 January.
The woman who made the accusation then took her own life last year after advising NSW Police that she did not wish to pursue her complaint any further.
In a document, it is stated Ms Chrysanthou “admits that she did not seek Ms Dyer’s consent to act for Porter and says she did not need to seek such consent”, adding that she did not issue an invoice for the advice she gave and never agreed to act in proceedings for Ms Dyer.
READ MORE: Court bid to oust defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou from Porter case
Ms Chrysanthou denies that any “information disclosed by Dyer to her on 20 November in conference (that she can recall) is relevant to the Porter proceedings” and “denies that there is a real and obvious possibility that any such information will be used by her for Porter’s benefit in the Porter proceedings”.
Furthermore, Ms Chrysanthou is of the view that, “by reason of the cab rank rule, she is prevented from returning the brief for Porter”. The cab rank rule limits the circumstances where a barrister can refuse to act for a potential client.
Mr Porter is suing the ABC for suggesting he raped the woman in the late 1980s when they were both teenagers, allegations which he has denied.
