On the couch with the journalist who successfully defended her investigative story about the rogue surgeon Dr Mudjed Al Muderis ... Gruelling defamation trial ... Massive expense ... Six days of cross-examination ... Breakthrough for the public interest defence ... Family-in-law
Investigative journalist de jour, Charlotte Grieve ... Jumping through hoops to get the story published and successfully defended in court ... Personal and professional insights ... Book in the pipeline
Grieve (right) - on Macquarie Street after Justice Abraham handed down her judgment in the Federal Court
Describe yourself in three words.
'Doing her best' – Justice Bromwich.
What are you currently reading ... And what is your favourite book??
I just finished reading Helen Garner's 'How To End A Story'. I mistakenly thought it might have some practical tips for writing the final chapter of my book but it ended up being a rollicking read about her third divorce. The way Garner describes people and places is second to none!
My favourite book is 'The Lebs' by Michael Mohammed Ahmad. I love books that are set in Sydney and take readers into the shoes of people who aren't always given a platform. This book explores what it was like growing up in western Sydney amid mainstream media coverage of 911 and the 'Skaf brothers' rape trial. We need more Australian books like it!
What is your favourite film?
I hate to be a journalism-tragic but I do love journalism movies and "The Insider" is one of the best. It's an accurate and powerful depiction of the immense pressure involved in producing public interest investigations, both for the whistleblower and the reporter. There is intimidation, corporate pressure, behind-the-scenes smear campaigns and ethical questions that are all-consuming for all involved.
When are you happiest?
Sitting on a beach with a book with nowhere to be for the entire day (or week!).
Who or what has been the most influential person in your life?
Everyone's answer to this should be their mother! My mother - Dixie Coulton - has taught me the importance of hard work, independence.
Why did you want to become a journalist?
To hold power to account – a cliché but true!
What has been the trajectory of your career path?
My first newspaper job was in Ulaanbaatar for the 'Mongol Messenger' and that's where I decided journalism was for me. Then I wrote for 'The City Hub' while studying and writing for Fairfax, the Guardian and SBS before I landed a job as a trainee at The Age in 2018. I started as a business journalist in the national team then ended up in the investigations unit, where I remain today.
How did Dr Munjed Al Muderis first loom on your horizon?
I first knew about him through his advocacy for refugee rights and thought he was an inspiring figure. However, I learned about concerns with his surgical practice through my father, an amputee who consulted with Dr Al Muderis in 2018.
How did you commence and then proceed with your investigation?
I started speaking with patients, surgeons and prosthetists and it quickly snowballed. Concerns about his practice were an open secret. Over several months, I spoke with more than 70 people all around the world and gathered internal and public documents to corroborate, verify and test the core claims – that he failed to obtain informed consent from vulnerable patients and then ignored them when things went wrong.
It was a story for both the Nine newspapers and the Nine TV network - what were the legal hoops through which you had to jump to get the story published.
My editor told me early on that we needed multiple patients on the record and an independent expert to get this story anywhere near considered for publication. Interviewing Dr Al Muderis to ensure he could respond to the allegations was also critical.
Pleading the public interest defence opened the requirement for you to go into the witness box and be cross-examined. Can you tell us what that was like?
My cross-examination lasted six days in total, which I'm told is a record for the longest cross-examination of an Australian journalist. It was tiring but ultimately easy because I had nothing to hide.
Some mistakes in the reporting were identified during cross-examination. Were you concerned they might be sufficient to derail the defence?
No. As Dr Matt Collins KC said in closing submissions, one of the remarkable features of this case is that despite the coercive powers of the court and the eye-watering costs involved: 'Nothing emerged of substance, nothing, in our submission, to shake the fundamental accuracy of the respondent's publications.'
What's next for Charlotte Grieve?
After seven years at The Age, I'm moving to the ABC's investigative unit in February. It's a big change but I couldn't be more excited.
What comes to mind when you close your eyes and think of the word "law"?
Family. My mother, father and sister (and her parents-in-law) are all lawyers - so I associate anything legal with them.
If you were a foodstuff, what food would you be?
Spaghetti Bolognese!
Justice Wendy Abraham's summary judgment - Munjed Al Muderis v Nine Network Australia Ltd Limited
Duty to Warn - Charlotte Grieve's book about the Al Muderis case will be published in January 2026.