Federal Court’s Lehrmann ruling a ‘triumph for truth’: Network Ten
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More news: Network Ten has released a statement welcoming Federal Court Justice Michael Lee’s finding in favour of the network.
What they said: “This judgment is a triumph for truth,” the statement said. "Justice Lee’s judgment is vindication for the courageous Brittany Higgins who gave a voice to women across the nation.
“Network 10 is considering Justice Lee’s 324-page judgment. It is clear however that Australia’s defamation laws remain highly restrictive.
“When put to the test, it was always our obligation to inform the public of these important social and political matters notwithstanding the challenges presented by these laws and today’s judgment vindicates the telling of Brittany’s story.”
Lehrmann raped Higgins on balance of probabilities: Federal Court Justice Michael Lee
The news: Former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann has lost his defamation case against Network Ten after Federal Court Justice Michael Lee found to the civil standard that Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.
The context: Lehrmann sued Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson in early February last year over an episode of The Project that aired in February 2021. Lehrmann was not named in the broadcast but alleged he was identifiable and that the segment conveyed the defamatory meaning that he raped Higgins. He faced a criminal trial in 2022 that was later abandoned due to juror misconduct. He has maintained his innocence.
The parties will make submissions on costs by 22 April.
What they said: “In summary, I consider it more likely than not, in those early hours after a long night of conviviality and drinking and having successfully brought Ms Higgins back to a secluded place, Mr Lehrmann was hellbent on having sex with a woman he found sexually attractive,” Justice Lee told the Federal Court in Sydney on Monday.
The source: Federal Court
