Higgins ‘can breathe again’ after Lehrmann appeal loss
Brittany Higgins feels like she can “breathe again” after losing her high-profile appeal against a libel verdict finding Bruce Lehrmann raped her.
The disgraced former Liberal staffer had sued Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over an interview in which Brittany Higgins claimed she was raped on The Project in 2021.
Judge Michael Lee found in April 2024 that on the balance of probabilities Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019 following a night out.
The finding was confirmed by the full court of the Federal Court on Wednesday.
Ms Higgins expressed relief at the decision in a statement on social media.
“I finally feel like I can breathe again,” he wrote on Instagram, thanking the court for its decision.
“On the surface, this was a defamation case against a media outlet, but in reality, it was again a rape case.
“I cannot tell you how traumatic an experience it is to have your rapist use the legal system as a weapon against you because you dared to speak out.
“Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. It is a legal tactic increasingly used by perpetrators around the world to silence victim survivors in direct response to the #MeToo movement.”
Lehrmann has always denied sexually assaulting Ms Higgins, and the criminal case against him in 2022 was annulled without a finding.
He did not appear in court on Wednesday and was represented by attorney Zali Burrows. Lawyer Zali Burrows said she was “very impressed” by the decision and was seeking advice on applying for special leave to challenge the decision in the High Court.
Lehrmann was ordered to pay $2 million in damages after his first defamation loss and now has to foot the bill for his opponents’ legal costs during his unsuccessful appeal.
The 30-year-old man will appear in court again on Thursday, this time in Hobart, on car theft charges.
Lehrmann denies stealing a Toyota Prado at remote Mountain River in Tasmania’s south on November 20, 2024.
A warrant was issued for Lehrmann’s arrest on November 6 after he failed to appear before Hobart Magistrates’ Court for a preliminary hearing.
Although the warrant was ineffective, judge Robert Webster warned that it could be granted if Lehrmann failed to appear in court at the next hearing and provide a medical certificate excused his absence.
Ms Burrows told the court at the time that Lehrmann was “unable to appear in court due to cut tests due to urgent medical issues”.
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