On Friday 5 March 2021, I publicly apologised to Ms Brittany Higgins about the comment about her to my staff on 15 February 2021.

I wish to further address the comment that I made. I did not mean it in the sense it may have been understood.

Given that the comment was made public, which I never intended, I also want to retract it and unreservedly apologise to Brittany Higgins and acknowledge the hurt and distress it caused to her.