Bruce Lehrmann loses appeal against failed defamation case ruling

Bruce Lehrmann has lost his appeal against a Federal Court ruling that found on the balance of probabilities he had raped Brittany Higgins in 2019.

The former Liberal staffer took Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson to court over an episode of The Project in which Brittany Higgins said she was raped in Parliament House, although she did not name the man she accused.

Last year, Justice Michael Lee found on the balance of probabilities that Mr Lehrmann had raped his then-colleague Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in Canberra in 2019.

He appealed against this decision in the Federal Court, and the hearings were held in August.

Bobby. wrote Today at 9:51am:


A bankrupt rapist?   

If he didn't do it, then he will be pretty pissed off about now eh?

LNP never again wrote Today at 12:48pm:


Indeed.

"The only reasonable inference to be drawn by the facts known and observable to Mr Lehrmann at the time that he had sexual intercourse with Ms Higgins, is that he did turn his mind to whether Ms Higgins consented to sex, was aware that she was not consenting, but proceeded nonetheless," Justice Michael Wigney said in his summary of the judgment.


That's rape.

greggerypeccary wrote Today at 1:18pm:


Yes, but the defence was (and is) that there was no sexual activity at all.

There is zero physical evidence of any sexual activity.

Daves2017 wrote Today at 1:19pm:


Compensation for being raped.

greggerypeccary wrote Today at 2:17pm:

Does everyone who is raped received  2 million taxpayer dollars or only if you are a politician staffer?

None of this is going to help the liberals leadership crisis is it?

I mean as liberal staffers both Bruce and Brittney were being prepared to become liberal leaders and proud members of parliament under the liberal banner.

Prime Minister Bruce was in the liberal party future.