She settled her harassment claim for $30k, then the Supreme Court made her pay
A sexual harassment settlement meant to close the door, but one phrase opened it again four years later, with catastrophic results for the employee.
The Queensland Supreme Court ruled on December 23, 2025 that Hamde Bakhit must pay her former employer's legal costs after trying to sue over claims she'd already released in a 2017 settlement deed. The decision exposes a trap many HR teams miss: the difference between statutory compensation that cannot be released and common law claims that can.
Bakhit worked for corporate law firm Hartley Healy across two stints between 2013 and 2016. She alleged a solicitor sexually harassed her from December 2015 through April 2016.
After withdrawing a WorkCover claim in October 2016, she filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission. At an April 2017 conciliation conference, the parties reached a settlement. The firm paid thirty thousand dollars, converted her termination to a resignation, provided a reference, and expressed regret.
The settlement deed released the firm from all claims "other than any claim for statutory benefits under the Workers' Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) or for unpaid superannuation which she may be entitled to make."
That's where things went wrong.
In 2021, Bakhit sued Hartley Healy for breach of duty of care and breach of contract over the same harassment allegations. Her lawyers argued that since the...
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