A former Hobart Matriculation College teacher, Stephen Fane Noga, 76, has filed an appeal against a $1.6 million damages award to a former student, arguing that social media posts by the presiding judge compromised his impartiality. The appeal, lodged on May 6, 2026, seeks to overturn the judgment and have the plaintiff pay his legal costs.
Justice Stephen Estcourt awarded the woman, now in her 60s, cumulative damages of $1.6 million last month, ordering Noga and the State of Tasmania to jointly pay $1.4 million. The woman had sued Noga for alleged sexual abuse in the 1980s and the state for failing in its duty of care.
The appeal documents claim that Justice Estcourt's social media posts and reposts, made before, during, and after the trial, were “generally supportive of victims of sexual abuse,” creating a perception that he would favor the plaintiff. The posts were allegedly connected to the trial's subject matter, which included child sexual abuse, rape, and abortion.
Noga's solicitors argue that the judge may have been “more readily inclined to accept the first respondent's case” rather than deciding on its merits. They also allege that Justice Estcourt erred in law by failing to consider the difficulty of testing evidence after 45 years, noting that such allegations are “easy to make, but difficult to refute.”
The plaintiff's lawyer, Angela Sdrinis, expressed her client's disappointment, stating she had hoped to move on without further litigation. The civil trial lasted one month, during which the plaintiff testified that the abuse began when she was 16. Noga denies the allegations, claiming they had consensual sex after she turned 17.
