“Courtroom Drama: Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins to Testify in Defamation Trial”
By Lauren Ferri, NCA Newswire
In a legal showdown that promises sparks, both Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins are set to take the stand and share their stories in an upcoming defamation trial. The judge’s gavel has also decreed that this four-week courtroom spectacle will tackle cases involving not only Network Ten but also the ABC.
Mr. Lehrmann jumped into the legal fray back in March, launching a defamation suit against Network 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. The bone of contention? The coverage of Brittany Higgins’ 2021 rape allegation against him. As if that weren’t enough, he also tossed a legal grenade at the ABC, claiming they broadcasted a National Press Club speech by Ms. Higgins that implicated him.
Even though he wasn’t directly named in the report or speech, Lehrmann insists he was pointed at by those media giants. He argues there were four different flavors of defamatory words in what they put out, all implying that he had a date with scandal at Parliament House in March 2019. He’s not amused, folks; he’s categorically denied all of it.
The legal carnival has been rolling through the Federal Court, ever since Justice Michael Lee granted extra time earlier this year. Now, the sideshow took center stage again for a warm-up act on Monday. The main event? It’s scheduled for November 20, and rumor has it, it’s going to be a month-long bash.
But wait, there’s been a glitch backstage! Turns out, Lehrmann’s legal eagles hadn’t received an important piece of paper from Ms. Higgins’ crew. Instead of bothering with paperwork, Justice Lee decided to up the ante. He wants Lehrmann and Higgins to face the mic ‘viva voce’, which is legalese for telling their tales live and direct, no scripts allowed.
Hold your breath, because this is Lehrmann’s debut in the witness spotlight. He didn’t take the stand during his criminal trial, but now he’s stepping into the ring. Initially, it was all about Lehrmann vs. Network 10, but Justice Lee made a plot twist. He decided to mash up both cases, stating that there’s a battlefield with clear lines of engagement here, including the ABC’s public interest defense.
And hey, guess what? The trial isn’t just about the talking heads. There’s a whole lineup of expert witnesses waiting to rock the legal catwalk. They’re pros at explaining how folks react and respond after experiencing sexual assault, and there’s even a chemistry whiz who analyzed Higgins’ alcohol levels.
But hold onto your gavels, folks. Justice Lee revealed that he didn’t see the expert cameo coming, and now he’s got his Sherlock Holmes hat on to decide whether they’re fit for the stage.
Stepping back in time, Mr. Lehrmann once sued News Corp’s News Life Media and reporter Samantha Maiden. In a surprising plot twist, he called off the dogs, and the articles in question still live online, unscathed. As if that wasn’t enough drama, Lehrmann’s previous trial got canned due to juror drama. He had pleaded not guilty to Higgins’ claims, but those charges got dropped faster than a hot potato, courtesy of the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions.
So there you have it, a courtroom carousel with Lehrmann and Higgins in the spotlight, defamatory words flying, experts unraveling mysteries, and the judge running the show. Stay tuned for this blockbuster legal drama – it’s gonna be one for the books.
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