- Bruce Lehrmann Lawyers Worked No Win, No Fee
- Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson argued he should cover the $10 million case
Bruce Lehrmann does not have a secret financier funding the multi-million pound bill for his defamation loss against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson, a court has heard.
Lehrmann’s dire financial situation was laid bare at a case management hearing before Judge Michael Lee in Federal Court on Wednesday morning.
The network and Wilkinson have argued that Lehrmann, who has been out of work since February 2021, should cover the costs of the failed defamation lawsuit, worth an estimated $10 million.
Wilkinson’s attorney, Zoe Graus, said in court Wednesday that Lehrman was given notice to submit documentation including bank statements, trust accounts or third-party agreements with financiers to cover trial costs.
However, his lawyer Paul Svilans told the court that his client had nothing to present because there were no agreements.
Bruce Lehrmann lost his successful defamation trial on April 15 (pictured outside court)
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured giving a speech outside court after Lehrmann lost her case.
The only settlement Lehrmann had was with the defamation law firm Mark O’Brien Legal, which handled the case for him without any profit or fees.
Judge Lee said: ‘The two key points are: yes, many costs have been incurred, but they are not recoverable because Mr Lehrmann… lost.’
The matter was adjourned for an hour and the trial will resume at 11.30 am.
Lehrmann has not worked since Brittany Higgins went public with rape allegations against her on an episode of The Project in February 2021.
He was not named in the broadcast but was sued over claims that friends and colleagues identified him as Ms Higgins’ rapist.
Lehrmann lost the case on April 15 when Judge Michael Lee found, on a balance of probabilities, that he had violated Brittany Higgins in Parliament in 2019.
During a costs hearing last Wednesday, Judge Lee said Lehrmann could be forced to declare bankruptcy.
Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten argued that Lehrmann should pay the costs of the trial (court document pictured)
Ten’s lawyer, Matthew Collins KC, said the legal arguments were “academic” because Lehrmann would not be able to cover the bills.
Dr Collins said: “Alternatively, someone has to go and bankrupt Mr Lehrmann or do something like that.”
He argued that Lehrmann should have to cover all of Ten’s costs because the case should never have been brought, saying the former employee “knew” the rape allegations against him were substantially true.
“It could always be considered that the procedure was commenced on the basis that it was doomed to fail, and that he must have known it was doomed to fail,” Dr Collins told the court.
Judge Lee said he had reached “a level of satisfaction” that a costs order would be made in his favour.
There will be a sentence on Friday.
