Bruce Lehrmann Seeks Legal Costs from Network 10 Over Lisa Wilkinson's Logies Speech

Bruce Lehrmann, the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019, is seeking legal costs from Network 10 over Lisa Wilkinson's Logies speech, which he claims was "intentionally malicious and premeditated." In a landmark ruling in February 2023, a Federal Court judge found that on the balance of probabilities, Lehrmann had raped Higgins.

The case will return to court next week to determine whether Lehrmann will be ordered to pay the legal costs incurred by Network 10 and Wilkinson, estimated to exceed $8 million. Lehrmann's submission accepted that it was open for the court to order him to pay the costs on an indemnity basis, but he asked the court to consider whether he should be compensated for the failure of Ten's qualified privilege defense.

Network 10 has argued that Lehrmann should pay all of the network's legal fees, as his decision to sue The Project for defamation was "intentionally malicious and premeditated and an abuse of process." However, a dispute has arisen between Network 10 and Wilkinson over the reasonableness of her separate legal costs, which are expected to reach around $2 million.

The Federal Court ruled that Wilkinson's decision to hire her own legal team for the defamation trial was reasonable, but the precise amount Ten will have to pay for her legal bills is not yet clear. Wilkinson was "almost hysterical and sobbing" last year as she detailed her fears of having to sell her multimillion-dollar mansion to pay her legal fees, according to her boss, Channel 10 CEO Beverley McGarvey.

Why this matters: This high-profile case highlights the potential financial risks and legal complexities involved in defamation lawsuits, especially when public figures and media organizations are involved. The outcome could set a precedent for how legal costs are allocated in similar cases and may impact how media outlets report on sensitive topics in the future.

The matter will return to court to decide what portion of Network 10 and Wilkinson's legal costs will be paid by Lehrmann, with the total costs estimated to be as high as $10 million. The court intends to refer the question of the quantum of the sum payable to Wilkinson to a referee for an inquiry and report. Lehrmann is unlikely to have the financial means to meet any significant costs order against him.

Key Takeaways

• Bruce Lehrmann seeks legal costs from Network 10 over Lisa Wilkinson's Logies speech.
• Federal Court ruled Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins on the balance of probabilities.
• Network 10 argues Lehrmann should pay all legal fees, calling his lawsuit "malicious".
• Dispute over reasonableness of Wilkinson's $2M legal costs, which Ten may have to pay.
• Lehrmann unlikely to afford any significant costs order against him, per the article.