Federal Court Reopens Network Ten Defamation Case with New Evidence From Former Seven Producer

The Federal Court has granted Network Ten the opportunity to introduce fresh evidence in the defamation case filed by Bruce Lehrmann against the network and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.

The development in the case, overseen by Justice Michael Lee, stems from Network Ten’s successful bid to present new information before the court.

Bruce Lehrmann initiated the defamation lawsuit following an interview on Network Ten where Brittany Higgins disclosed her allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House in 2019.

The criminal trial against Lehrmann in the ACT Supreme Court faced a setback due to juror misconduct, leading to no final judgments against him.

The upcoming evidence involves former Seven Network producer Taylor Auerbach, known for his work on the Spotlight program.

Auerbach is expected to testify that Lehrmann provided material that was not tendered during the criminal trial, including a significant audio recording of a meeting involving Brittany Higgins and others.

Network Ten’s legal team aims to leverage this fresh evidence to question Lehrmann’s credibility during the trial.

The reopening of the case has led to the delay of the judgment, originally set for this week, which will not be expected until next week after the additional evidence is considered by Justice Michael Lee.