The High Court of Australia has dismissed Bruce Lehrmann's final legal attempt to challenge the outcome of his defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. In a brief judgment published on Thursday, the court rejected his application for special leave to appeal, effectively ending his bid to overturn the finding that he raped Brittany Higgins.
In April 2024, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee ruled that, on the balance of probabilities, Lehrmann raped former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. The judge found that Lehrmann was not defamed by an interview on The Project in 2021, in which Wilkinson interviewed Higgins about the alleged rape. Lehrmann, who was not named in the interview, later claimed he was identifiable.
Lehrmann had previously lost an appeal against the defamation ruling in the Federal Court in December 2024. The full bench of the Federal Court of Appeal went further than the trial judge, suggesting that Justice Lee should have found Lehrmann knew Higgins did not consent. The appeal judges dismissed all four grounds of appeal, including claims of procedural unfairness and errors in the burden of proof.
Following the High Court's decision, Brittany Higgins released a statement on social media, saying the verdict “brings a measure of finality to a long and painful chapter.” She criticised the legal system for re-traumatising victim-survivors and called for reforms to better protect those who come forward.
Lehrmann was charged in 2021 with sexual intercourse without consent, but pleaded not guilty. His criminal trial was aborted in December 2022 due to juror misconduct, and prosecutors later dropped the charges, citing an “unacceptable risk” to Higgins's health. Lehrmann continues to maintain his innocence.
