Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming has withdrawn a Supreme Court challenge against her own party’s president, opening the door for the party to pursue either mediation or a fresh vote on her preselection. The move comes after months of internal conflict stemming from an assault allegation Ms Deeming made against former party leader Matthew Guy, a matter Victoria Police said resulted in no offence being detected.
What Ms Deeming has done #
Ms Deeming lodged an 11th-hour Supreme Court challenge on 3 July against Victorian Liberal Party president Brian Loughnane, seeking to block moves within the party to disendorse her ahead of the state election. According to Ms Deeming’s own public statement, she has now discontinued that legal action, saying the party “can now decide whether to pursue mediation or reconvene to disendorse me.”
Discontinuing a civil proceeding is a formal step recorded on the court file and does not amount to any finding by the court on the substance of the dispute. It simply means Ms Deeming is no longer asking a judge to intervene in the party’s internal preselection process, at least for now.
Background: the assault allegation #
The dispute between Ms Deeming and senior figures in her party traces back to an allegation she made against Mr Guy, the former Victorian Liberal leader. Ms Deeming alleged she was assaulted by Mr Guy. Victoria Police confirmed in a statement that officers investigated the allegation and determined there was no offence detected.
Because Victoria Police’s own statement is the official record here, we can report that finding directly: no charges were laid against Mr Guy, and police did not identify any offence arising from the incident. Mr Guy has not been charged with any offence in relation to the matter, and nothing in this article should be read as suggesting otherwise. Under Victorian law, an allegation is not evidence of wrongdoing, and where police have found no offence was detected, that finding stands unless and until it is revisited through a formal process.
Ms Deeming subsequently declined calls from within her own party to apologise over the allegation, a position that has fuelled the ongoing tension between her and the party leadership group.
Why the party wanted her disendorsed #
Disendorsement is a preselection matter, not a legal or criminal one — it is governed by the Liberal Party’s own constitution and internal rules, not by any court or statute. Party administrative committees can vote to withdraw endorsement from a sitting MP, effectively meaning that MP would not run for the party at the next election under its banner.
Ms Deeming’s Supreme Court challenge sought to have a court intervene in that internal process before any disendorsement vote could take place. By discontinuing the case, she has removed the legal obstacle that had, for the moment, put any disendorsement vote on hold.
Her statement framing the party’s choice as being between “mediation” or moving to “reconvene to disendorse me” reflects her understanding of the two paths now open to the party’s administrative committee.
What a Supreme Court challenge over preselection actually involves #
Courts are traditionally reluctant to intervene in the internal affairs of political parties, which are treated in law as voluntary associations governed by their own rules rather than by external statute. Legal challenges of this kind typically argue that a party breached its own constitution or rules of natural justice in how it reached a decision — not that any criminal or civil wrong occurred.
For readers unfamiliar with how these disputes work: a party’s administrative or state executive committee typically has power under its constitution to endorse or withdraw endorsement from candidates and sitting members. Any legal challenge to that process usually turns on procedural fairness — whether the member was given proper notice and an opportunity to respond — rather than on the merits of the underlying dispute that triggered the process.
What happens next #
With the Supreme Court proceeding discontinued, the Liberal Party’s administrative apparatus is now free to determine its own course of action. Ms Deeming’s own statement acknowledges two possible outcomes: a mediated resolution, or a reconvened vote on disendorsement.
Victoria Crime News has sought comment from the Victorian Liberal Party on the timing of any further preselection process. Any decision on Ms Deeming’s future as an endorsed candidate rests with the party’s internal committees, not with any court, now that the legal challenge has been withdrawn.
The record on the police matter #
It is worth restating plainly what is and is not established on the public record. Victoria Police investigated an assault allegation made by Ms Deeming and found no offence was detected. No charges have been laid against any person in connection with that allegation. Mr Guy has not been convicted of, or charged with, any offence arising from this matter, and is presumed to have done nothing wrong in the eyes of the law unless a different official finding is made in future.
Nothing in the party’s internal preselection dispute changes that police finding, and nothing in this article should be taken as suggesting any criminal conduct occurred. The preselection dispute between Ms Deeming and her party is a separate, internal organisational matter governed by the party’s own rules.
The bigger picture #
The saga has played out publicly for months, drawing attention to how political parties manage internal discipline when disputes between MPs spill into matters ordinarily handled by police or the courts. It also highlights the limits of using civil litigation to resolve what are, at their core, internal party governance questions.
With the state election approaching, the resolution of Ms Deeming’s preselection status — whether through mediation or a formal vote — is likely to remain a live issue within Victorian Liberal ranks in the weeks ahead. Victoria Crime News will continue to report on official statements from the party and any further court filings as they become public.
Readers seeking support in relation to family violence or assault-related matters can contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, Safe Steps on 1800 015 188, or the Sexual Assault Crisis Line on 1800 806 292. Anyone with information relevant to a police matter can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
