Key events
Welcome to what is expected to be the final day of the Lehrmann defamation trial
Today is the final day of the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial, which has been running since 22 November in Sydney’s federal court.
It began with the applicant, a former Liberal staffer, speaking in open court for the first time given he was not required to give evidence during the criminal trial which was aborted last year with no findings against Lehrmann.
Lehrmann maintains his innocence and pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent. He denies any sexual activity had occurred.
In December, prosecutors dropped charges against Lehrmann for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins, saying a retrial would pose an “unacceptable risk” to her health.
Lehrmann’s barrister Matthew Richardson SC has told the court that following the withdrawal of the criminal proceedings against him, he brought the proceedings against “his most prominent accusers, Channel Ten and Lisa Wilkinson and The Project”.
Today we will hear from his legal team as they present their final submissions to justice Michael Lee.
Yesterday Wilkinson’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC told the court there “can’t be any doubt in anyone’s mind that there was sex” on the night Higgins was allegedly raped.
Chrysanthou told the court the former Liberal staffer was a “fundamentally dishonest man” and a compulsive liar.
