Lehrmann appeals ruling on Higgins rape finding and defamation

Bruce Lehrmann returned to the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday for the three‑day appeal aimed at overturning a damning finding that he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House and at reversing the broader defamation loss he suffered against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. The Full Court, comprising Justices Michael Wigney, Craig Colvin and Wendy Abraham, is weighing whether the trial court erred in accepting the evidence presented against him and whether procedural fairness was respected in a case that occupies a prominent place in Australia’s media and legal landscape.

Lehrmann’s appeal centers on the Federal Court’s April ruling, which found, on the civil balance of probabilities, that he assaulted Higgins inside a minister’s office in March 2019 and, as a consequence, that Ten and Wilkinson had proven the truth of the broadcaster’s reporting. The verdict is the backbone of the defamation decision, and Lehrmann now contends that the findings were not only incorrect but also incompatible with what was pleaded at trial, arguing that he was denied a fair opportunity to respond to the case as it was framed.

A core aspect of the hearing has been Lehrmann’s...