A major update has emerged in Bruce Lehrmann’s Federal Court case as his appeal against a devastating loss in a defamation lawsuit against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson continues.
The former political staffer is now appealing “the entirety” of Judge Michael Lee’s ruling, which found, on a preponderance of probabilities, that he sexually assaulted Ms Higgins inside Senator Linda Reynolds’ office in Parliament House on the morning of March 23, 2019.
Mr Lehrmann is suing Network 10 and Ms Wilkinson over claims made in his interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021.
Following the brutal verdict, he has now filed an appeal before the Plenary of the Federal Court.
Last week, the court was informed that his lawyers had missed the deadline to file an amended notice of appeal, but it was filed on Friday.
Mr Lehrmann’s appeal now focuses on the defence of justification, according to an update to the Federal Court’s docket.
He now says the trial judge “erred in upholding the justification defense” and “determining that defendant had established the justification defense.”
Mr. Lehrmann also claims that Judge Lee was wrong in saying that if he had won, he would have received only $20,000.
A major update has been revealed in the Bruce Lehrmann case in Federal Court
Last week, his lawyers missed two key deadlines, including an order for him to post $200,000 as security for Network 10’s legal costs in order for the appeal to go ahead.
Zali Burrows, Lehrmann’s new attorney, said the delay was due to a dispute Lehrmann had with his former attorneys.
He had previously asked the court to suspend the $2 million costs order Mr Lehrmann was ordered to pay following the defamation loss.
In his notice of appeal filed with the court, Mr. Lehrmann claims he was denied procedural fairness and challenged Judge Lee’s findings.
Mr Lehrmann sued Network 10 and Ms Wilkinson over claims made in his interview with Ms Higgins on The Project in 2021.
He also claimed Judge Lee made findings that were not put to him by Network 10 or Ms Wilkinson, nor were they put to him during cross-examination.
Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied sexually assaulting Ms Higgins and maintains his innocence.
He faced trial in the ACT Supreme Court in 2022 after pleading not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent.
The trial was abandoned due to jury misconduct and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) withdrew the charges due to concerns about Ms Higgins’ welfare.
