Fresh blow as Lehrmann told to pay lawyers’ fees
Bruce Lehrmann has been ordered to pay Network 10’s legal fees following his failed defamation lawsuit.
However, whether he will be able to cover any costs order remains to be seen. Mr Lehrmann was last month dealt a devastating blow when Justice Michael Lee ruled in favour of the broadcaster and high-profile journalist Lisa Wilkinson following their blockbuster trial.
The former Liberal staffer sued over Ms Wilkinson’s The Project interview with Brittany Higgins on February 15, 2021, in which she alleged she had been raped by a colleague inside Parliament House after a night out drinking.
Justice Lee upheld Ten and Ms Wilkinson’s truth defence, finding it more likely than not that Mr Lehrmann was “hellbent
on having sex” with Ms Higgins and that “he did not care one way or another whether Ms Higgins understood or agreed to what was going on”.
He on Friday afternoon deemed that Mr Lehrmann was liable to pay Ten’s legal fees after making a costs order in their favour.
The combined legal costs of all parties for the trial has been estimated to be $10m.
Mr Lehrmann will not have to pay his own lawyers’ fees, with the court hearing earlier this week that his agreement with Mark O’Brien Legal was on a no-win, no-fee basis.
Justice Lee, in his judgment handed down on April 15, did find that Ten and Wilkinson’s qualified privilege defence failed.
It remains to be seen whether Lehrmann has the capacity to pay Ten and Wilkinson’s legal bills, which are reportedly millions of dollars.
The court has heard Mr Lehrmann has not been employed since mid 2021 and he is now a law student.
He could be forced into bankruptcy if he cannot meet the costs order.
Lehrmann has also been granted an extension of time, until the end of the month, to decide whether he will launch an appeal.