Bruce Lehrmann, a former Liberal staff member, has exhausted all options to appeal a significant defamation ruling. This included a judgment by a civil court that indicated he probably raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House. Lehrmann, aged 30, took his case against Network Ten to the High Court, contesting previous court decisions that found he was not defamed by the network’s airing of Higgins’ allegations during a February 2021 interview on The Project.
On the recent ruling, the High Court declined Lehrmann’s request for special leave to appeal, leaving him without any further legal recourse. Typically, such appeals are not heard if they do not raise significant questions of Australian law.
Earlier this year, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee dismissed Lehrmann’s case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, labelling it an “omnishambles.” Justice Lee’s conclusions, including the finding that Lehrmann raped Higgins on a balance of probabilities, were confirmed on appeal by the Full Federal Court in December.
The incident in question occurred in 2019 after Higgins and Lehrmann were socialising with colleagues, which led them to the office of their superior, Senator Linda Reynolds, at Parliament House, where the alleged assault took place. Lehrmann has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting he returned to write notes regarding French submarine contracts, a claim dismissed by Justice Lee, who commented on the improbability of his explanation given that he had been seen kissing Higgins.
As a result of juror misconduct, a criminal case against Lehrmann did not advance, and no court has made definitive findings against him in a criminal context. However, the unsuccessful High Court appeal may lead to considerable financial repercussions for Lehrmann, as he is now potentially liable for Network Ten’s $2 million legal costs, which could push him towards bankruptcy.