October 14th 2024.
Bruce Lehrmann is in hot water as Ten, the network he sued for defamation, is demanding he pay up before moving forward with his appeal case. The allegations against Lehrmann stem from a February 2021 report on The Project, where journalist Lisa Wilkinson interviewed Brittany Higgins about her sexual assault in Parliament House in 2019. The court found that Lehrmann's account of the incident was not credible and ruled in favor of Higgins, ordering Lehrmann to pay $2 million in legal costs to Ten.
During a recent hearing, Ten's barrister Matt Collins KC argued that Lehrmann's grounds for appeal were weak and unlikely to succeed. He specifically pointed to Lehrmann's attack on the court's findings that Higgins gave impressive evidence over the assault. Collins stated that the appeal seemed to hinge on questions of credibility, which he believed to be a weak argument.
Furthermore, it was revealed in court that Lehrmann did not have the financial means to pay the $200,000 demanded by Ten before the appeal could proceed. If he was ordered to pay this amount, it would effectively put an end to the case. Justice Wendy Abraham was also asked by Lehrmann to stay the costs orders while the appeal was ongoing.
Lehrmann's appeal aims to overturn the court's findings, including the amount he would have been entitled to if he had won the case. The court had previously ruled that he would only be entitled to $20,000 if he had succeeded. However, Lehrmann denies the sexual assault and has not faced criminal charges due to juror misconduct causing his trial to be aborted.
In light of these events, Ten and Lisa Wilkinson are seeking orders for Lehrmann to pay $200,000 to the Full Federal Court before his appeal can proceed. This would cover the costs incurred by Ten in defending the case, while the costs for Wilkinson's defense are still being determined.
It is important to note that support is available for those who have experienced sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT. This is a difficult and sensitive matter, and it is essential that all parties involved are treated with respect and fairness.
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