Linda Reynolds makes extraordinary move against Brittany Higgins after she flew to France with her $2.4m payout

Linda Reynolds has doubled her bid to freeze Brittany Higgins’ assets after the former staffer showed off her new life in the south of France, funded by her $2.4 million taxpayer-funded payout.

The former defense minister is suing Ms Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz for defamation in the Supreme Court of Western Australia over posts they each made on social media.

Ms. Reynolds wrote a letter to Ms. Higgins’ lawyer, Leon Zwier, in December, pointing to reports that the couple had bought a house in the small town of Lunas and were planning to move permanently.

“If such reports are true, we believe that a request for freezing orders is appropriate,” the letter said.

Daily Mail Australia can now reveal that Ms Reynolds has taken the action further and sought French legal advice on whether the government would enforce an Australian ruling.

Linda Reynolds (pictured) is suing Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz for defamation

“I am considering my position and awaiting advice from French counsel on my right to enforce an Australian judgment against assets in France,” she said.

Ms Higgins gave evidence in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation case against Channel 10 in early December.

The former political staffer then flew to Europe with Mr Sharaz and their cavoodle Kingston to start their new lives before Christmas.

On Wednesday, she took to Instagram to share a series of photos from her recent travels, captioning the post with a quote from French philosopher Sartre: “Nous sommes nos choix.”

The phrase roughly translates to: “We are our choices.”

She added, “Here’s a few of mine lately.”

One photo showed Mr Sharaz sitting at the end of a long table piled high with meat, potatoes, a large bowl of carrots and a bottle of champagne for their first Christmas abroad.

She also included a photo of the Arc de Triomphe at night, a Parisian street scene, art galleries and museums.

Pictured: the house Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz bought in Lunas, France

Mrs Higgins is pictured in France with her dog Kingston, a month after her permanent move

Mr Sharaz was pictured smiling at the end of a long table piled high with meat and a large bowl of carrots

Ms Reynolds’ defamation case will return to the WA Supreme Court on January 30, followed by a mediation conference on March 5 and a strategic conference on March 6.

Judge Marcus Solomon previously urged the parties to resolve the issue before going to trial, citing the enormous costs often associated with defamation proceedings.

Ms Higgins’ multimillion-dollar civil claim against the Commonwealth was settled in December 2022 after just one day of mediation, and ten days after the ACT DPP dropped sexual assault charges against her alleged rapist, Bruce Lehrmann.

Mr Lehrmann has consistently maintained his innocence and last month sued Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson in Federal Court for publishing Ms Higgins’ 2021 rape allegations.

Judge Michael Lee presided over the case and has yet to rule.

During the defamation trial of Mr Lehrmann, Ms Higgins’ plea agreement was released.

According to the claim, Ms Higgins’ “pain, suffering and humiliation” was estimated at $400,000, past and future domestic help at $100,000, and $220,000 in medical expenses.

Legal fees totaled another $245,000, and $1,480,000 was paid for lost wages.

The payment was referred by Senator Reynolds to the National Anti-Corruption Commission. The NACC would not comment on what it is investigating.

A series of photos showcasing her first month of adventures in France include a photo of the Arc de Triomphe at night (pictured)