Cult leader to appeal court loss, seeks new libel trial before new judge

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NewsCult leader to appeal court loss, seeks new libel trial before new judgeBSBy Benjamin SeederUpdated March 30 2024 - 12:46pm, first published March 29 2024 - 9:49amBy Benjamin

SeederUpdated March 30 2024 - 12:46pm, first published March 29 2024 - 9:49amFacebookTwitterWhatsappEmailCopyNatasha Lakaev, who sued book author Carli McConkey and lost last month, is

appealing her case to the Full Bench. Picture by Ben Seeder Alleged cult leader Natasha Lakaev will appeal her lost libel case against book author Carli McConkey to the Full Bench of the

Supreme Court.

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50% off EOFY SaleAll articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperCrosswords, Sudoku and TriviaAll other regional websites in your areaContinue Ms Lakaev, who headed

the Universal Knowledge organisation throughout the 2000s, launched libel proceedings against Ms McConkey following the publication of her book, 'The Cult Effect', in 2017.

In it, Ms McConkey detailed her experience of living as a Universal Knowledge member over a 16-year period, and described the organisation as a "doomsday cult" that abused its members and

prophesised the end of the world in 2011 or 2012.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Estcourt last month ruled that all of the imputations made against Ms Lakaev in the book and articles were either true or substantially true.

In a March 22 notice, lawyers for Ms Lakaev signalled their intention to appeal that decision to the Full Bench of the Supreme Court.

They are seeking that the Justice Estcourt's ruling be set aside, and the case be re-tried before a different judge.

In the appeal notice, Ms Lakaev claimed that Justice Estcourt erred in his decision by finding that four of the imputations in Ms McConkey's book were either true or substantially true.

Those imputations included that Ms Lakaev is a violent extremist and had physically assaulted Ms McConkey.

She claimed that no evidence was submitted during the trial to substantiate the four imputations.

Ms McConkey, who represented herself in the marathon 34-day trial, confirmed that she would defend the appeal.

Former Universal Knowledge member Carli McConkey represented herself in the 34-day libel case against her in Hobart's Supreme Court last year. Picture by Ben Seeder "I have pleaded all the

available defences including the contextual imputations that Lakaev ... was the leader of a Doomsday Cult, and ... is likely to be a psychopath," she wrote.

In his decision, Justice Estcourt described Ms Lakaev as an "arrant liar" and a "dishonest and unreliable witness".

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