Bruce Lehrmann cannot afford legal representation during his appeal against his lost defamation case and seeks substantial damages for the reputational harm he claims has made him “a national joke”, according to a hearing at the federal court.
Lehrmann is appealing the judgment of Justice Michael Lee from April 2024, who concluded that bruce was not defamed by Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10 when The Project aired an interview with Brittany Higgins in 2021, in which she alleged rape at Parliament House.
At the opening of the three-day appeal, Lehrmann’s lawyer, Zali Burrows, apologized to the federal court bench for not being able to secure an experienced barrister for her client.
Burrows, arguing for substantial damages if any of the appeal grounds were upheld, stated her client had been vilified across media platforms. “He’s essentially become the subject of national mockery and is considered one of the most reviled individuals in the country,” Burrows claimed.
Burrows mentioned that Lehrmann wanted Sydney barrister Guy Reynolds, SC, but could not afford him, thus she would represent him, accompanied by Lehrmann.
Burrows isn’t an experienced barrister, a fact she disclosed to the court, in contrast to the barristers representing the opposing parties.
The justices assured her of her qualifications but instructed her on certain court rules as she presented her submissions.
The court questioned Burrows on the four grounds of Lehrmann’s appeal.
Burrows’s arguments faced scrutiny, with one justice questioning the logic of characterizing Lee’s judgment as finding a “non-violent rape”, a term that seemed unclear to the justice.
Burrows was challenged by the justices on each ground of the appeal, with one justice suggesting that the case was about defamation, not the determination of a rape.
The grounds for appeal included a claim of denied procedural fairness, as the findings about the alleged rape by Lee differed from Ten and Wilkinson’s versions. However, opposing counsel suggested that this assertion was unfounded and a distraction.
Burrows chose not to detail all her grounds of appeal at this stage, saying she would address them in rebuttal. The hearing is ongoing.
Lehrmann, charged in 2021 with sexual intercourse without consent, pleaded not guilty and has maintained his innocence after the charges were dropped.