What it means for independent journalists and social media users, Attorney-General Christian Porter alleged to have raped 16-yr-old Katharine Thornton in 1988, Bruce Lehrmanns defamation lawyers could be jailed for their criminal conduct in the Ben Roberts-Smith case, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet set to kill off the Liberal Party in NSW at the state election, How Queenslands Human Rights Act protects fugitive Australian journalist Shane Dowling from being extradited to NSW. By clicking Accept all you agree that Yahoo and our partners will process your personal information, and use technologies such as cookies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights, and product development. Weekend Paper is for The Weekend Australian delivered on a Saturday. Lehrmann has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to raping Higgins in the office of their then-boss, Liberal minister Linda Reynolds, in Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019, after a night out drinking with colleagues. This year, there is a section of the code of conduct dedicated to this.. Home Delivery not available in all areas. To Wilkinsons knowledge, there was no legal impediment preventing the naming of Lehrmann in the matters, and her decision to not name him indicates the contrary of an intent to injure him, the defence reads. The pressure to drink at NCMUN and the timing of the new sexual assault policies at the 2017 NCMUN annual conference seems to tie in with the allegations against Bruce Lehrmann. It can also now be revealed Higgins paused her evidence during the trial in October due to a mental health crisis. Lisa Wilkinson has responded to Bruce Lehrmanns lawsuit.Credit:Getty Images, Alex Ellinghausen. We dont spam! Hawara: 'What happened was horrific and barbaric', The people who want you to believe the Ukraine war is fake. Georgie Moore is a breaking news reporter with The Australian Financial Review . However, he said he had to weigh that against the prospect of harm caused by proceeding with the retrial. Higgins friend Emma Webster released a statement after Drumgolds announcement, which said: Brittany is in hospital getting the treatment and support she needs. She reported the alleged rape to police in the days afterwards but then did not proceed with her complaint because she was afraid she might lose her job, the jury heard. Prices after the introductory pricing period may be varied as per full Terms and Conditions. Allow up to 5 days for home delivery to commence (10 days in WA). 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. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here. cost) for the first 12 months, charged as $32 every 4 weeks. Sign up here. Media alleged that Bruce Lehrmann assaulted other women: court. The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Lawyers for the journalist Lisa Wilkinson will seek to prove the former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann raped his colleague Brittany Higgins as the journalist defends a defamation claim brought . The defence adds that Wilkinson at all relevant times understood that Network 10 employed an expert legal team with experience in pre-publication advice, including defamation and contempt. The evidence makes it clear that this is not limited to the harm of giving evidence in a witness box [and] rather applies whether or not the complainant is required to enter a witness box during a retrial., He paid tribute to Higgins as he concluded his brief statement, saying that during the investigation and trial as a sexual assault complainant, [Brittany] Higgins has faced a level of personal attack that I have not seen in over 20 years of doing this work. Brittany Higgins remains in hospital after the case was discontinued due to fears for her mental health. Not in conjunction with any other offer. The first trial collapsed following juror misconduct and the DPP ultimately did not proceed, with a second citing Ms Higgins mental health. Do you know Bruce Lehrmann? Prior to joining the Sydney bureau she cut her teeth at court reporting A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. In a police interview played to the jury, she said she had cried while telling Mr Lehrmann "stop" and "no". They also argued "a pre-prepared speech" by Ms Higgins outside court could prejudice a future retrial, saying they had referred it to police and the court for investigation. The statement of claim also alleges Ms Wilkinson was fighting with Ms Maiden over exclusivity for the story before publication. We want NCMUN to be a welcoming environment, where everyone feels they can express themselves and participate. At no time did Wilkinson believe that Higgins allegations about Lehrmann were false.. Bruce Lehrmann, 27, denies sexually assaulting Brittany Higgins on a government minister's sofa after a night out in Canberra in 2019. Home Delivery not available in all areas. A spokesman for Lehrmann said the former staffer would be seeking legal remedies concerning untrue content that has been published about him in the future but he wouldnt be making any further statements during this time. Ive recently received really compelling evidence from medical experts that the ongoing trauma associated with this prosecution presents a significant and unacceptable risk for the life of the complainant. 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. 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. No cancellations during the first 12 months. The case attracted significant media attention after Higgins went public with the allegations, and the trial has repeatedly been delayed in part because of pretrial publicity. He did not have his security pass with him, and told security personnel he was attending after hours to pick up some documents. 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. Samaritans provide a safe place to talk where calls are completely confidential. Subscription automatically renews at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. 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.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen. The following day on the 23rd of September 2017 they posted the below on their Facebook page: We are committed to ensuring a safe and respectful environment for delegates throughout the Conference weekend and were sure that all attendees are equally as eager for this to occur. Lauren Ferri is a general news reporter for NCA NewsWire, covering everything from breaking news and crime to politics, business and Covid-19. The sexual assault case against former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has been dropped.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen. After the first 12 weeks, the cost is $40 billed approximately 4 weekly. The former political staffer alleges the interview defamed him in four ways, most notably by suggesting he raped Higgins in the office of Reynolds, their then boss, in 2019. The only inference that I believe can be drawn is because there were sexual assaults and harassment at the NCMUN annual conference in 2016. The independent inquiry probing misconduct in the prosecution of Bruce Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins will hold its first public hearing on April 26, as Commissioner Walter . "My life has been publicly scrutinised, open for the world to see.". The defence argument continues to allege Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins went up the lift and were admitted into Minister Reynolds suite by a security guard, who left them alone in the suite with the door closed. The trial heard from both parties as well as several prominent witnesses. Bruce Lehrmann, who was born in Texas, is alleged to have assaulted Brittany Higgins in the early hours of March 23, 2019, on a couch in a senator's office after a night of drinking in. The case of a former political adviser accused of raping a colleague inside Australia's Parliament House has been aborted after juror "misconduct". Trial of Lehrmann, who denies allegations he sexually assaulted Brittany Higgins in 2019, begins in ACT supreme court. This automatically renews to be billed as $60 (min. 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. If you are in Australia, you can call Lifeline on 131114. 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. You are likely familiar with the main things this involves: we wont tolerate bullying, harassment, intimidation, or slurs. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. Ms Higgins is currently in hospital to help deal with the trauma of the alleged incident and its aftermath, according to her friend Emma Webster. She reported the alleged rape in the days afterwards but initially did not proceed with her complaint because she feared for her career, a jury heard. They add that they have sought particulars of identification from Lehrmann and those particulars have not been sufficiently supplied. Lisa Wilkinson could derail Bruce Lehrmann 's high-stakes defamation case against Channel 10 and news.com.au with a clever legal tactic - as the TV star's husband hints she may be holidaying in . Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Please take a moment to upgrade to the latest version. I sent some questions to a person involved with the 2017 National Capital Model United Nations Conference as per below: Please use Twitter, Facebook, email and the other buttons below and help promote this article. Higgins remained in hospital on Friday after ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC said he was left with no choice but to axe a retrial of Lehrmann because of an unacceptable risk to the life of Higgins, who he said had faced unrelenting attacks with bravery, grace and dignity. Lehrmann is also suing News Corp and the journalist Samantha Maiden over their reporting of Higginss allegations. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Wilkinsons defence, filed on Wednesday, shows she will argue that Lehrmann was not identified in the interview. Brittany is extremely grateful for all the support she has received, particularly from our mental health care workers.". Lehrmanns legal team had argued that these allegations, as well as other media attention, meant that Lehrmann was not able to receive a fair trial. Each payment, once made, is non-refundable, subject to law. The Australian Digital 12 Month Plan costs $364 (min. 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. This scandal is getting bigger by the day and I will keep investigating. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. 2022 in Canberra, Australia. During that interview Lehrmann falsely denied having sexual intercourse with Higgins, the defence states. Wilkinson understood and confirmed inquiries were made in relation to the allegations made by Higgins to the Prime Minister, Linda Reynolds, Michaelia Cash, Fiona Brown, AFP officers, the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, Lehrmann and other parliamentary staffers and advisers, the defence reads. You are only entitled to this subscription if and for as long as you hold a valid and active subscription with your Google Account. 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. The Bruce Lehrmann and Brittany Higgins trial that gripped the nation is approaching an end with the jury now deliberating their decision. McCallum said the allegations were contained in articles that had since been removed from the internet and had been published before Lehrmann had been charged and named. Lehrmann alleges the publications convey four defamatory meanings, including that he raped Brittany Higgins in [then] Defence Minister Linda Reynolds office in 2019. 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). During his opening address to the 16-person jury, the ACT director of public prosecutions, Shane Drumgold SC, said the jury would hear evidence Higgins had been as drunk as she had ever been in her life on the night of the alleged assault after a long drinking session at the Dock and 88mph bars in Canberra. Monday to Friday 7:30am 6:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 7:00am 11:30am (AEST), App or digital edition only customer? Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here. HIGH PROFILE HIGGINS CASE The LNP staffer 'absolutely' rejects the sex attack claims 2021-08-09 - . 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. Bruce Lehrmann has accused two major news organisations of being "recklessly indifferent to the truth" for reporting rape allegations made by his former colleague Brittany Higgins, legal documents . Australian advisor Bruce Lehrmann was born around 1980-90. Additional reporting by Tiffanie Turnbull in Sydney, Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, India anti-corruption crusader fighting to clear his name, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The last couple of years have been difficult and unrelenting. 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