The circus that keeps on giving just keeps rolling on. I’m referring, of course, to the Lehrmann-Higgins saga. If you thought it was all over with the defamation trial which sensationally ended with a judge just totally reckoning that Bruce Lehrmann probably did rape Brittany Higgins.
That despite, of course, even the slightest evidence that the two had even actually had sex, and the judge’s own admission that both parties were liars, and that the case would never have passed the bar of criminal trial. Nope, all it takes is a judge’s ‘I Just Reckon’ in a civil suit and you’re branded for life.
Well, Lehrmann, who has steadfastly maintained his innocence, isn’t changing his tune.
Bruce Lehrmann will represent himself in an appeal against the judgment that found he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, as his supporters abandon him and he is left alone to tackle judge Michael Lee’s landmark verdict.
The old legal adage about the person who represents himself – ‘he has a fool for a client’ – comes to mind. On the other hand, Justice Lee’s ruling was little short of bizarre. As noted above, there is no evidence of any sexual activity, let alone rape, and the judge was scathing about the reliability of both accuser and accused. If Lehrmann is, as he maintains, innocent (and, given the evidence, that possibility remains very strong), then the fact that he has to represent himself, while his accuser has walked away with millions of taxpayer dollars, will one day be seen as as big a stain on this country’s legal system as the Chamberlain or Pell cases.
The Australian understands Mr Lehrmann will argue Justice Lee denied him procedural fairness, and will claim Ms Higgins’ evidence had serious credibility issues.
He is calling on the Federal Court to set aside the judgment against him, a verdict be made in his favour, and for Ten and Wilkinson to pay his legal bills for both the appeal and the defamation proceedings […]
The Australian understands while Mr Lehrmann had been provided expert advice from top silk Guy Reynolds SC, he ultimately filed the appeal himself and will self-represent in any subsequent hearings.
Mr Lehrmann also sought assistance from former crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen SC, who has extensive experience with rape trials. Ms Cunneen, now a criminal barrister, most recently won a sexual assault case for ex-Wallaby Kurtley Beale.
The Australian
But Lehrmann is not the only person scorched by this scandal to go back for his hat.
Lisa Wilkinson is sensationally seeking to overturn Justice Michael Lee’s finding that her conduct in the Brittany Higgins story was improper and unjustifiable, claiming the judge made more than 50 errors in Bruce Lehrmann’s failed defamation case against her and Network Ten […]
The judge declared that The Project’s former star presenter had demonstrated “a lack of candour” in the witness box and was highly critical of the program’s suggestion that the rape had been the subject of cover-up, hushed up to avoid a political scandal in the lead-up to a federal election.
The Australian
It seems that Ten, for their part, are sick of the whole circus.
Network Ten has abandoned Lisa Wilkinson in her latest legal foray, refusing to join her bid to overturn Justice Michael Lee’s damning findings against her in Bruce Lehrmann’s failed defamation case […]
The Weekend Australian understands Ten warned Wilkinson before she lodged her notice that it would not fund her challenge, which could involve lengthy and costly proceedings.
In fact, Ten seem to be pretty keen on clawing back some of the millions they’re still paying Wilkinson under the terms of her contract, in return for which she hasn’t been sighted on the network since 2022.
Ten is already playing hardball on reimbursing the $1.8m in legal fees its former star presenter ran up in defending the mammoth case with separate legal representation led by top defamation silk Sue Chrysanthou SC.
Ms Chrysanthou billed Wilkinson $8000 for each full day in court, along with charging her $800 an hour for preparation, conferences, advices and travelling time.
Ten wants the former Project host to pay for all aspects of the case where it wasn’t necessary for her to have separate representation.
The Australian
Translation: you’re on your own. Spend some of your own money cleaning up after yourself, for a change.
