Bruce Lehrmann’s lawsuit towards Community Ten has been terribly reopened for brand spanking new proof suggesting the previous political staffer abused a courtroom course of.
The 28-year-old was on account of be taught on Thursday whether or not his defamation case over experiences of his alleged rape of Brittany Higgins had succeeded.
However, with the judgment cooling off within the printer, Justice Michael Lee this night agreed last-minute proof regarding leaked textual content messages needs to be admitted.
“That is clearly recent proof,” he stated within the Federal Courtroom.
An extra listening to will likely be held on Thursday and Friday, with judgment delayed at the very least every week.
Ten stated the doubtless case-changing proof got here from a tv producer who had labored to safe an unique interview with Lehrmann for community rival Seven.
It included an allegation that Lehrmann, 28, offered the producer greater than 2300 pages of “deeply private exchanges” between Higgins and her former boyfriend, in breach of the longstanding rule in authorized follow generally known as the Harman enterprise.
Lehrmann acquired the fabric, going again years, whereas defending himself in a prison trial.
Lee stated the proof could change the dedication of the case and agreed with Ten that it went additional than merely a query of credit score.
It additionally drew into query whether or not Lehrmann had abused the courtroom course of, Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC stated.
Collins, who described Ten’s bid as “uncommon and distinctive”, additional accused Lehrmann of giving his barristers directions “that should have been fallacious”.
His barristers had beforehand instructed Ten and the courtroom the enterprise regarding Higgins’ messages had not been breached.
“This isn’t a trivial matter,” Collins stated.
“If the [producer] proof is accepted, our submission will likely be it is a very critical matter.”
Lehrmann sued Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over a February 2021 report on The Venture the place Higgins was interviewed about her alleged rape in a Parliament Home workplace in Canberra in March 2019.
He’s in search of intensive damages, saying these experiences have destroyed his popularity.
Lehrmann denies raping Higgins.
His barrister on Tuesday urged Justice Lee to dismiss the last-minute utility, saying each his shopper and Higgins had instructed many lies on oath.
“It is actually lipstick on a pig,” barrister Matthew Richardson SC stated.
“These things is trivial, it is simply not related and to offer depart to reopen on that type of materials can be inappropriate.”
He didn’t touch upon whether or not Lehrmann’s directions concerning the Harman enterprise had modified.
Tuesday’s pressing listening to got here after Ten filed its bid to reopen the case on Easter Sunday.
“I assumed I had completed my work on this matter in Lent,” Justice Lee quipped.
The decide stated he remained hopeful of delivering his judgment subsequent week.
