Media herald Roberts-Smith finding critical for justice

After an 11-month deliberation, Justice Anthony Besanko found The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times had successfully proved their allegations the Victoria Cross recipient committed war crimes.

A crowd of more than 100 onlookers assembled outside the Federal Court after the hearing.

Nine publisher James Chessell said the finding vindicated journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters and confirmed Mr Roberts-Smith breached the Geneva Convention, in a critical step towards justice for victims' families.

"Most importantly, it is a vindication for the brave soldiers of the SAS who served their country with distinction and then had the courage to speak the truth about what happened in Afghanistan," he said outside court.

Chessell said publishing a story of this magnitude was never easy but high-quality investigative journalism was vital to a thriving democracy.

McKenzie, who penned several of the contested articles, said it was "small justice" for Mr Roberts-Smith's Afghan victims.

"Ali Jan was the man kicked off the cliff," he said.

"He has children who no longer have a father.

"He has a wife who no longer has a husband.

"He was kicked off a cliff by Ben Roberts-Smith."

Mr Roberts-Smith was spotted poolside in Bali on Wednesday in footage aired on the Nine Network.

"He came almost every day but he did not come to the day of judgment," McKenzie said.

"He's in Bali, doing whatever he's doing.

"We're here to welcome justice and the truth."

Masters said the decision to run the stories would go down in the history of the news business as one of the great calls.

Mr Roberts-Smith has 42 days to lodge an appeal after his barrister, Arthur Moses, successfully argued for a time limit extension.

"We'll obviously consider the lengthy judgment that his honour has delivered and look at issues," Mr Moses told reporters.

Seven West executive chairman Kerry Stokes, who employed Mr Roberts-Smith in Queensland and backed his legal effort, said the judgment "does not accord with the man I know".

"I know this will be particularly hard for Ben, who has always maintained his innocence," he said in a statement.

Australian SAS Association chairman Martin Hamilton-Smith said it was a disappointing day, hitting out at a "trial by media".

"(It) has been very traumatic for a group of soldiers, 99.9 per cent of whom did nothing more than fight bravely for their country," he told the ABC.

Defence Minister Richard Marles declined to comment when asked if he would consider stripping Mr Roberts-Smith of his service medals.

Greens Senator David Shoebridge called on the Australian War Memorial to remove Mr Roberts-Smith's uniform from display.

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance president Karen Percy said the case highlights how defamation laws have worked to constrain investigative journalism and attack legitimate reporting.

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