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Labour MP Andrew Little and ACC Minister Judith Collins - Source: ONE News -
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The High Court will hear ACC Minister Judith Collins' defamation case against Labour MPs Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little next year.
A settlement hearing will take place in November, followed by a trial on February 25.
The counsel for the defendants sought a stay of proceedings, but that was rejected by a High Court judge.
Defamation cases often take some time to come to court with both sides jockeying to set the terms of the case.
Today's hearing in the High Court in Auckland was a face-to-face conference for lawyers to plot out the case's timetable and sort out how it is going to be run.
Both sides have retained senior and experienced counsel with Collins being represented by Queen's Counsel Julian Myles and Mallard and Little represented by Wellington lawyer John Tizard.