Lisa Wilkinson and Bruce Lehrmann are both in the courtroom today, sitting at opposite ends of the room as Brittany Higgins gives her evidence.
Here is Lehrmann arriving at court today:
Brittany Higgins is now back in the witness stand. Here she is arriving at court this morning:
Here is Lisa Wilkinson photographed as she arrived at court this morning with her legal team.
Trial may be extended to 18 December, court hears
A separate matter about legal costs between Lisa Wilkinson and her employer the Ten Network, has been the subject of complex legal argument.
Justice Michael Lee has set down the matter for a final hearing on 14 December or at the end of the defamation trial.
The court has heard the trial may be extended from an estimated 14 December to 18 December.
Wilkinson, who has retained her own legal counsel, is suing her employer over a dispute about payment of more than $700,000 in legal costs.
This blog will cover major developments during the day.
In the interests of open justice and due to significant public interest, the federal court is livestreaming this case.
You can follow the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial live stream on YouTube here.
Yesterday Justice Michael Lee warned if members of the public denigrate the barristers on social media he will reconsider allowing the case to be livestreamed on YouTube.
Lee heard that court staff were monitoring activity on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I just make it perfectly clear to those observing that abuse of any legal practitioners involved in the case, it won’t be tolerated,” Lee said.
“And if the situation becomes one which I consider the benefits of livestreaming are outweighed by the fact that it’s encouraging activity which I regard undermines the integrity of the process then I’ll cease the live stream.”
Brittany Higgins will return to the witness box in the federal court today to continue her lengthy cross-examination by Bruce Lehrmann’s barrister Steve Whybrow SC.
(Though first up at 9am Justice Michael Lee will first hear a side issue in the matter involving a financial dispute between the two respondents: Ten and Wilkinson.)
It is day eight of the high-profile defamation trial which is expected to run until 14 December and to hear from more than 20 witnesses for the defence.
Yesterday Whybrow’s allegation that she had a financial motive for making an allegation of rape against his client led Higgins to declare if she ever wrote a book she would donate the proceeds to charity.
“Take it as an oath right now,” she said. “I don’t care about it.”
Lehrmann brought the defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with Higgins on Ten’s The Project in which she alleged she was raped by a Liberal staffer in Parliament House. Network Ten and Wilkinson are defending the case.
It was a highly emotional day yesterday as Higgins pushed back on suggestions she lied about her alleged rape and had been inconsistent about the details, including whether she was naked or partially naked.
Wilkinson, who has retained her own legal counsel, is suing her employer over a dispute about payment of more than $700,000 in legal costs.
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