This is a "Shortcut" episode. It’s a shortened version of this week’s more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed. 

It's been quite a season of high-profile defamation cases in Australia in recent years.

Geoffrey Rush, Craig McLachlan, Ben Roberts-Smith, and Bruce Lehrmann, to name a few.

Along with the risks of airing all of your dirty laundry for the world to see, a defamation case doesn't come cheap either. Lehrmann, who recently lost his defamation lawsuit against Channel 10, is rumoured to have legal fees amounting to more than 8 million dollars.

We're joined on Australian True Crime today by Victoria-Jane Otavski, a litigator with over 20 years of experience specialising in defamation law, to explain what defamation is and why these cases so rarely succeed in court.

You can click here to learn more or get in contact with Victoria-Jane Otavski at Blackbay Lawyers

For Support: 

Lifeline  on 13 11 14

13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

CREDITS:

Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram 

Guest: Victoria-Jane Otavski

Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard

This episode contains extra content from ABC News and 10 News First

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