Three separate defamation cases against Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto will be heard together in a single trial.
Former Liberal MP Moira Deeming, Kellie-Jay Keen and Angie Jones are each suing Mr Pesutto in the Federal Court, claiming he damaged their reputations following a March 2023 rally.
The Let Women Speak rally – organised by Ms Jones, headlined by Ms Keen and attended by Ms Deeming – was gatecrashed by a group of masked men who performed Nazi salutes.
Ms Deeming, Ms Keen and Ms Jones claim Mr Pesutto defamed them by suggesting in the aftermath that they were associated with far-right extremists including neo-Nazis.
The Liberal leader has said he would vigorously contest the defamation proceedings.
Neither Mr Pesutto nor the three women attended a case management hearing before Justice Michael Wheelahan on Thursday.
During the brief hearing, the Federal Court justice confirmed all three cases would go to trial on September 16.
The trial has been listed to run for 15 days.
Justice Wheelahan ordered the parties to follow the set timeline for production of documents, noting “complex” proceedings can often be delayed by slow filing.
He told the parties to provide sufficient notice to his chambers if there are any delays.
Source: AAP