Home. The lawyers set out Wilkinsons sources and add that to Wilkinsons knowledge, extensive fact checking of the allegations made by Higgins was undertaken for some weeks by Network Ten including senior lawyers, senior news and current affairs executive Peter Meakin, and The Projects head of longform feature stories. Lehrmann had denied ever having sex with Higgins and in a police interview described himself behaving like a gentleman on the night of March 22, 2019, when they were part of a group drinking at The Dock bar in Kingston, and later 88mph nightclub, before the pair shared an Uber and Lehrmann said he needed to drop by parliament. Please try again later. Wilkinson has denied she acted recklessly in reporting Higginss allegations of rape, describing the suggestion as baseless, and has indicated she will seek to rely on a truth defence in a defamation claim brought by Lehrmann. McCallum had set down a retrial over a single charge of sexual intercourse without consent for early 2023. To this end, sexual assault and harassment (SASH) of any kind will not be tolerated at NCMUN. Kangaroo Court of Australia is an independent website and is reliant on donations to keep publishing so please click on the Patreon button below and support independent journalism. If that is the case, then that was the same time Bruce Lehrmann was an official of the conference, and they also raised problems with people being pressured to drink which is very similar to the allegations against Bruce Lehrmann currently being reported in the media. Please take a moment to upgrade to the latest version. Mr Lehrmann chose not to give evidence, but in a police interview that was played to the court said what was alleged "simply didn't happen". Higgins friend Emma Webster released a statement after Drumgolds announcement, which said: Brittany is in hospital getting the treatment and support she needs. Monday to Friday 7:30am 6:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 7:00am 11:30am (AEST), App or digital edition only customer? They say Wilkinson is an experienced, accomplished and careful journalist of more than 40 years experience who has interviewed 10 Australian prime ministers and various other world leaders, reported from disaster zones, and reported on live breaking news on a daily basis. This automatically renews to be billed as $60 (min. Not in conjunction with any other offer. Lehrmanns lawyers have asked the court to extend a one-year limitation period for bringing a defamation claim because the interviews at the centre of the lawsuits, marking Higgins first comments in public, were published two years ago. Brittany Higgins with Lisa Wilkinson as she takes the stage at the Womens March 4 Justice at Parliament House in Canberra on March 15, 2021. filed Federal Court defamation proceedings, filed her written defence to the lawsuit in the Federal Court in Sydney on Wednesday. In his claim, Lehrmann alleged Wilkinson acted recklessly in her reporting. John Barilaro NSW ICAC, NSW Police and NSW Parliament investigations, Facebook sucker-punch the Australian government. Lehrmann offered to share a taxi with Higgins, having told her that they were headed in the same direction, but once both were in the taxi, Lehrmann told Higgins that he had to stop somewhere first, the document states. Wilkinson denied the allegation in her defence. Please try again later. Bruce Lehrmann, the alleged parliament house rapist, was an official at the Australian National University (ANU) NCMUN annual conference in 2016 which was the year before new sexual assault and sexual harassment policies were introduced in 2017 for the NCMUN conference that seems to be related to what happened at the 2016 conference. It also led to a damning review which found that a third of employees in federal parliament had been sexually harassed. Higgins appeared to give evidence in the trial of former Liberal Party political . Lauren Ferri is a general news reporter for NCA NewsWire, covering everything from breaking news and crime to politics, business and Covid-19. Key points: A board of inquiry is the ACT equivalent of a royal commission According to the statement of claim filed against both Ten and news.com.au, Mr Lehrmanns legal team allege that Wilkinson and Channel 10 were recklessly indifferent to the truth or falsity when they alleged a man raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House on March 23, 2019. Allow up to 5 days for home delivery to commence (10 days in WA). They included Reynolds, the former defence minister, as well as Channel 10 journalist Lisa Wilkinson and News Corp reporter Samantha Maiden, who first aired the allegations in media reporting. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. No cancellations during the first 12 months. Bruce Lehrmann was an official at the ANU NCMUN conference in 2016 as per the below picture and was still involved at least until February 2017 when they were looking for a new leadership team. The first trial collapsed following juror misconduct and the DPP ultimately did not proceed, with a second citing Ms Higgins mental health. The trial heard from both parties as well as several prominent witnesses. One in 2016 during the election campaign, the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins in March 2019 at parliament house and another alleged rape in 2020. Her lawyers said she underwent extensive fact checking for weeks, including some done by Network Tens senior lawyers, but credited Ms Higgins as a credible witness. Please call 1800 070 535. "My life has been publicly scrutinised, open for the world to see.". Home Delivery not available in all areas. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. "I told the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or unflattering, to the court," she said. Wilkinson left The Project last year but remains a Ten employee. 2023 BBC. He says the articles defamed him by implying he continued to rape Brittany Higgins after she woke up mid-rape and she was crying and telling him to stop and left her on a couch in a state of undress. Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent. Australian advisor Bruce Lehrmann was born around 1980-90. The legal document outlines Ms Wilkinsons position that Mr Lehrmann took an intoxicated Higgins to Parliament House on 23 March 2019 with the intention of having sexual intercourse with her, despite being in a monogamous relationship with a girlfriend.. It also explains how you can access or seek correction of your personal information, how you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with a complaint of that nature. Weekend Paper is for The Weekend Australian delivered on a Saturday. Bruce Lehrmann (left) and Brittany Higgins arrive separately at the ACT Supreme Court in Canberra on Wednesday. Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Read about our approach to external linking. The jury was told Lehrmann and Higgins arrived at parliament at about 1.41am on the night of the alleged assault. "While it's disappointing the trial has ended this way, Brittany's health and safety must always come first. Her legal team, headed by the Sydney defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC, say they sought particulars of identification from Lehrmann and those particulars have not been sufficiently supplied. The last couple of years have been difficult and unrelenting. Wilkinsons defence, filed on Wednesday, shows she will argue that Lehrmann was not identified in the interview. While emphasising procedural fairness, we will be taking a zero tolerance and survivor-focussed approach to incidents of SASH. Lehrmann has consistently maintained his innocence to allegations that he raped Higgins, a fellow political staffer, on a couch in the office of the then defence industry minister, Linda Reynolds. Home Delivery not available in all areas. Our Privacy Policy includes important information about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information (including to provide you with targeted advertising based on your online activities). When the new policies were introduced it was announced on Facebook We also want to ensure that people feel comfortable with not drinking, or with drinking less, at events no one should feel pressured to do something they dont want to. and sexual assault and harassment (SASH) of any kind will not be tolerated at NCMUN. Mr Lehrmann chose not to give evidence at the trial, but in a police interview said what was alleged "simply didn't happen". Her allegations were a catalyst for what has been called Australia's "Me Too moment", sparking huge protests over the safety of women, particularly in politics. But if the court allows the claim to proceed despite the limitation period, as Lehrmann is arguing it should, Wilkinson will seek to rely on multiple defences and argue that Lehrmann was not identified in the reports. All three are similar in that they claim that Bruce Lehrmann forced himself on them when they were drunk. Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Channel 10s Lisa Wilkinson has filed her defence in the defamation case brought by former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann, accusing him of lying to police about taking an intoxicated Brittany Higgins to Parliament House with the intention of having sexual intercourse. NCMUN is or was Canberras premier Model United Nations conference, based at the Australian National University and based on their Facebook page finished in 2018. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Ms Wilkinson is relying on defences of truth and qualified privilege. Rupert Murdochs Fox News was a co-conspirator for White House riots implies lawyer Glenn Kirschner, How Queenslands Human Rights Act protects fugitive Australian journalist Shane Dowling from being extradited to NS. Her allegations were a catalyst for what's been called Australia's "Me Too moment", sparking huge protests over the safety of women, particularly in politics. Lehrmann directed the taxi to Parliament House, where he exited the taxi with Higgins at the Ministerial entrance at about 1:40am Lehrmann and Higgins went through security and Higgins was observed by security personnel to be visibly intoxicated. A valid active email address and Australian mobile phone number are required for account set up. The Australian doesn't play nicely with your current browser. Finally, your Equity Officers will be floating around during Committees and events to make sure everyone is having a good time. On 22 March 2019 they both had drinks with colleagues and others. See www.theaustralian.com.au/subscriptionterms for full details. Read our privacy policy for more info. Mr Lehrmann's trial collapsed in October because of jury misconduct. Ms Higgins says she fell asleep on a sofa in Ms Reynolds's office and woke to find Mr Lehrmann having sex with her. If you are in Australia, you can call Lifeline on 131114. No cancellations during the first 12 months. He said she remembered being woken by the pain in her leg which she said was caused by Lehrmanns knee digging into her thigh, crying throughout the entire process and saying no at least half a dozen times. Lisa Wilkinson has responded to Bruce Lehrmanns lawsuit.Credit:Getty Images, Alex Ellinghausen. New medical advice found that a planned retrial for February posed a "significant and unacceptable risk to the life of the complainant", said Australian Capital Territory Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold. Or maybe he learnt that from others at the NCMUN annual conference. Juries are required to reach a verdict only on evidence presented in the courtroom. There had been concerns that Mr Lehrmann might not get a fair trial because of the publicity, but an earlier application for it to be thrown out was rejected. Summing up a major defence, the document states: Lehrmanns conduct described in the preceding particulars amounted to rape of Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. Bruce Lehrmann is on trial before an ACT Supreme Court jury, charged with raping Brittany Higgins in March 2019. . Ms Wilkinsons defence said she gave the political staffer multiple opportunities to respond to her before the broadcast. See www.theaustralian.com.au/subscriptiontermsfor full details. He pleaded not guilty to the charge. Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake, What we've learned from Alex Murdaugh murder trial. To upgrade, call 1300 MY NEWS (696 397), Payment every 4 weeks for the first 12 weeks, www.theaustralian.com.au/subscriptionterms, Monday to Friday paper delivered including. Enter your email address below and click on the follow button. The sexual assault case against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been dropped.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen. A board of inquiry will examine the conduct of police and the ACT's top prosecutor in the case against former Liberal Party adviser Bruce Lehrmann, who was accused of raping his then colleague Brittany Higgins in 2019. The trial, set to run for two months, began in the Australian Capital Territory supreme court in Canberra on Tuesday morning. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here. It can also now be revealed Higgins paused her evidence during the trial in October due to a mental health crisis. Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updates. Renewals occur unless cancelled in accordance with the full Terms and Conditions. After passing through parliament security, Drumgold said Higgins remembered sitting in the office of their boss, the then defence industries minister, Linda Reynolds, before waking up on the couch with the accused having sex with her. Deeply sorry: Shock comments on Brittany. 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