Dame Quentin Bryce seeks to withdraw from giving evidence on behalf of Ben Roberts-Smith

It is understood the former governor general no longer wishes to appear as a character referee for the former soldier

Dame Quentin Bryce, the former governor general who pinned Ben Roberts-Smith's Victoria Cross to his chest, is understood to be seeking to withdraw from giving evidence on his behalf in his upcoming defamation trial.

Roberts-Smith's high-profile action against three newspapers begins in just over a week, and Bryce has been publicly nominated as having agreed to offer character evidence in his defence.