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Freeman, Bideau agree to mediate
By PETER GREGORY
CHIEF COURT REPORTER
Saturday 10 February 2001
Warring ex-lovers Cathy Freeman and Nick Bideau yesterday agreed to mediate a
Supreme Court fight over a business trust fund worth at least $750,000.
The mediation plans followed three hours of talks between lawyers after a
dispute about whether Ms Freeman could withdraw funds from the trust pending
further hearings without needing Mr Bideau's permission.
Justice Philip Mandie said the parties were at loggerheads and called on them
to resolve the preliminary dispute, which he said provided other means for
them to continue their main battle. He then criticised what he called a
public relations "war" that had taken place in the media for months over the
Bideau-Freeman court battles. Justice Mandie acknowledged public interest in
the case, but said he disapproved of the warfare.
"There is really no excuse for lawyers and their cohorts to fire bullets in
public and I'd also counsel them not to do so in court," he said.
It was regrettable for a judge to discover some details about a case in the
press before they were mentioned in court.
James Merralls, QC, for Mr Bideau, said in court after yesterday's
negotiations the mediation hopefully would take place in the last week of
February. He said income Ms Freeman earned from the use of her intellectual
property as an athlete would be deposited in a bank account pending further
court order.
Neither Mr Merralls nor Jeff Sher, QC, for Ms Freeman, mentioned her
withdrawal of funds from the trust during the brief resumption of the court
hearing after the talks. Mr Sher said he would seek an early trial date,
before June, because Ms Freeman would normally be overseas for the summer
athletics season in Europe in August or September.
The trust fund dispute and a separate fight between Ms Freeman and Mr Bideau,
his business partner Peter Jess and the company Melbourne International Track
Club over management rights were both adjourned until March 2.
The former case began last November when Mr Bideau sought the appointment of
a receiver to the company Catherine Freeman Enterprises, the trustee of the
business trust.
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