Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins seeks justice and vindication in defamation trial against Lisa Wilkinson and Channel Ten

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Ten’s The Project and presenter Lisa Wilkinson began in the federal court today. Lehrmann is suing the parties for defamation and seeking justice, vindication, and significant compensation after his life was “utterly destroyed” by Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations, as broadcasted on The Project. Lehrmann’s barrister, Matthew Richardson, argued that there is no concrete evidence to support the allegations, with no eyewitnesses, audiovisual or audio recordings, or admissions. Richardson stated that Lehrmann maintains his innocence and brings these proceedings against Channel Ten and Lisa Wilkinson to vindicate his name.

The criminal trial against Lehrmann, held last year in the ACT, was abandoned after a juror brought a research paper on sexual assault into the jury room. In December, prosecutors dropped charges against Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Higgins, citing an “unacceptable risk” to her health in a retrial. Richardson emphasized that Lehrmann, who was seated in the front row of the Sydney courtroom, will give evidence and seek vindication and compensation.

According to Richardson, The Project did not name Lehrmann, but he argues that he was easily identified as the alleged assailant. Shortly after the broadcast, various websites and Twitter users named Lehrmann. The subsequent Channel Ten broadcast of the interview was viewed live by 725,000 people and by an additional 200,000 on 10 Play before it was taken down. Richardson claimed that Lehrmann has been publicly maligned as one of the most prominent rapists and revolting predators in recent history, resulting in his loss of everything. He will seek a substantial award of damages and a written judgment to vindicate his name.

During the trial, Lehrmann’s legal team will question the reliability of Higgins as a witness, highlighting inconsistencies and improbabilities that have arisen during the criminal trial and her subsequent accounts of conversations with colleagues after the alleged incident. They will also focus on the timing of the allegations, which they claim emerged only after Lehrmann had left his office and Higgins had been informed of the security implications of entering parliament house after hours.

The court heard that an article written by Samantha Maiden for news.com.au, published on the morning of The Project’s broadcast, did not identify Lehrmann as a senior adviser to Liberal senator Linda Reynolds. However, the Ten broadcast did make the connection. Richardson argued that Ten had taken Higgins’ side, portraying her in an entirely positive way and treating her allegations as unquestionable truth.

Justice Michael Lee rejected Channel Ten’s request to not live-stream the defamation proceedings, emphasizing the importance of open justice. Meanwhile, the ABC settled its defamation claim with Lehrmann over a National Press Club speech by Higgins in 2022 before the trial began.

The defamation trial will continue, with Lehrmann seeking to clear his name and restore his life. The outcome of the trial will have significant implications for the parties involved and the broader public perception of the case.

[Image Source: The Guardian].