Week 5 cross examination of psychiatry expert witnesses Dr Jonathan Phillips and Dr John Sydney Smith, and pharmacology expert Professor Ian Whyte
Author: Esther Rockett
Two Chelmsford hospital deep sleep therapy nurses give evidence – Gill & Herron defamation trial
19 – 30 June 2020 – Cross examination of two nurses who worked at Chelmsford Private Hospital between 1972 and 1975
Medical experts give evidence – part one -Chelmsford Hospital doctors Gill & Herron defamation trial
25 – 26 June 2020 – Cross examination of psychiatry expert witnesses, Professor Pat McGorry and Professor Ian Hickie
Chelmsford patients give evidence – Gill & Herron v HarperCollins & Cannane defamation trial
Weeks 3 and 4, 18 – 22 June 2020 – Cross examination of Chelmsford Private Hospital deep sleep therapy patients
Days 11 to 13 – Gill & Herron v HarperCollins & Cannane defamation trial
Days 11 to 13 – 15 to 17 June 2020 – Cross examination of Steve Cannane
Dr John Gill and former psychiatrist John Herron, who were involved in the deep sleep therapy and electroconvulsive therapy scandal at the Chelmsford Private Hospital in Sydney in the 1960s and 1970s, are suing HarperCollins Publishers Australia and ABC journalist Steve Cannane for defamation over a 28 page chapter of Cannane’s book Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia.
Day 10 – defence opens in Gill & Herron v HarperCollins & Cannane defamation trial
Day 10: 12 June 2020 – Defence opening address
Dr John Gill and former psychiatrist John Herron were involved in the deep sleep therapy scandal at the Chelmsford Private Hospital in Sydney that was the subject of a Royal Commission in 1989. Gill and Herron are suing HarperCollins Publishing Australia and ABC journalist Steve Cannane for defamation over a 28 page chapter of Cannane’s book Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia. Continue reading
Day 9 – Gill & Herron v HarperCollins & Cannane defamation trial
Day 9: 11 June 2020 – procedural argument to strike out s 29 defence of fair report of proceedings of public interest
In 2016 HarperCollins Publishers Australia published a book authored by ABC journalist Steve Cannane, Fair Game: The Incredible Untold Story of Scientology in Australia. Cannane and the publishers are being sued for defamation by Dr John Gill and former psychiatrist John Herron. They were involved in the administration of deep sleep therapy and electroconvulsive therapy at the Chelmsford Private Hospital in Sydney in the 1970s. Continue reading
Videos: Defamation in Australia with Esther Rockett
In part one of these two videos I talk through some of the technical points of defamation law in Australia. In part two I look at how the law has played out in six cases.
I am not a lawyer. None of this content is a substitute for advice from a qualified legal professional.
I am, however, a successful defamation defendant. I won a defamation case brought by Universal Medicine cult leader, Serge Benhayon. I represented myself for over a year without a solicitor due to lack of funds.
Universal apologies: Serge Benhayon & Universal Medicine FACTS team apologise to Esther Rockett
From May 2014, Serge Benhayon and his Universal Medicine associates published profuse false and defamatory allegations about me on social media. In response to legal complaints from me, the defamatory articles published on UM websites have been removed, and Benhayon and seven colleagues who published the majority of those have published apologies.
Esther Rockett triumphs in Benhayon v Rockett defamation case
On 15 October 2018 a four person Supreme Court jury unanimously vindicated Esther Rockett after a three year court battle against Universal Medicine cult leader, Serge Benhayon. Read about the court’s findings on the blog article: Benhayon v Rockett victory at last and the way forward.
Esther thanks all of her supporters and her legal team for all their efforts in ensuring her success at trial. If you’re new to Universal Medicine see the Wikipedia overview, Esther’s blogs Universal Medicine cult exposed and Universal Medicine Accountability, and her YouTube video series Unpacking Universal Medicine.
Esther Rockett 