On Monday, the Federal Court sanctioned a payment of $1.15 million to journalist Lisa Wilkinson, following prolonged disputes regarding the amount she should receive for her independent legal representation in a defamation case. This sum is considerably lower than the $1.8 million Wilkinson initially claimed to have incurred in legal fees.
The defamation trial centred on allegations made by Brittany Higgins, who accused Bruce Lehrmann of sexual assault in Parliament House in February 2021. Presided over by Justice Michael Lee, the case was dismissed in April 2023, with the judge concluding that Lehrmann had not been defamed and supporting the validity of Higgins’ assertions of assault.
In June, Justice Lee ordered Lehrmann to cover $2 million in legal costs owed to Network Ten, who also stated they had invested $3.7 million defending the lawsuit. The specifics of Wilkinson’s compensation were later determined when an external referee evaluated the reasonableness of her legal fees, before Ten agreed to the $1.15 million figure through a contested hearing.
Ten has already remitted $558,000 to Wilkinson, with the remainder due by March 19. The question remains regarding Lehrmann’s ability to pay, as he faces financial challenges and is reportedly on the brink of bankruptcy. A court hearing is set for March 11, where Justice Lee will address additional expenses related to the appointment of the costs referee.
Following the abandoned criminal case against Lehrmann in 2022, where a mistrial was declared due to juror misconduct, no legal findings were made against him. As he has launched an appeal against the defamation ruling, a date for this hearing has yet to be scheduled.
For those seeking support in relation to sexual assault or domestic violence, the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service can be contacted at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).