Bruce Lehrmann's failed defamation appeal against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson
Consensus Summary
Bruce Lehrmann’s final legal attempt to overturn a defamation ruling against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson failed after Australia’s High Court dismissed his appeal on April 9, 2026. The court ruled 'special leave refused with costs,' ending Lehrmann’s long-running legal battle. Justice Michael Lee had previously found, on the balance of probabilities, that Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019, a decision upheld by the Federal Court of Appeal in December 2025. Lehrmann had sued after Higgins’ 2021 interview on *The Project* alleged rape without naming him, though he claimed he was identifiable. His criminal trial collapsed in 2022 due to juror misconduct, and prosecutors later dropped charges, citing concerns for Higgins’ health. Despite maintaining his innocence, Lehrmann’s defamation case was dismissed, with courts rejecting his claims of procedural unfairness and lack of evidence. The ruling leaves Lehrmann facing significant legal costs, estimated at over $2.5 million, while reinforcing the findings against him.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Bruce Lehrmann lost his last-ditch legal effort to appeal the defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson after Australia’s High Court dismissed his case on 2026-04-09 with the judgment 'Special leave refused with costs'
- Justice Michael Lee found in 2024 that on the balance of probabilities, Bruce Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019
- Lehrmann sued Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson over a 2021 interview on *The Project* where Brittany Higgins alleged rape but did not name the perpetrator
- Lehrmann was charged with sexual intercourse without consent in 2021, pleaded not guilty in 2022, and the criminal trial was aborted in December 2022 due to juror misconduct
- The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed Lehrmann’s appeal in December 2025, rejecting all four grounds of his appeal
- Justice Lee’s judgment included the quote: 'Having escaped the lion’s den, Mr Lehrmann made the mistake of going back for his hat'
- Lehrmann maintains his innocence and denies any sexual contact with Higgins, claiming they went separate ways after entering the Defence Minister’s office in 2019
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The Federal Court of Appeal argued Justice Lee should have found Lehrmann knew Higgins did not consent to sexual intercourse, going beyond Lee’s original findings
- Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Network Ten and Wilkinson ran for five weeks in 2023
- Lehrmann faces a massive legal bill for Network Ten and Wilkinson’s court costs, including $2 million for the Federal Court trial and an estimated $500,000 for the Full Court appeal
- Justice Lee referred to non-legal material, including academic papers, which Lehrmann argued was improper
- Justice Lee explicitly stated in his judgment: 'Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins. I hasten to stress this is a finding on the balance of probabilities.'
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian and ABC state Justice Lee found Lehrmann was 'hell-bent on having sex' with Higgins and 'did not care one way or another whether Ms Higgins understood or agreed,' while Newscomau only reports the broader finding of rape without the specific quote.
- Newscomau and ABC mention the High Court rejected Lehrmann’s claim that Justice Lee conducted 'his own research' and relied on non-legal material, but only Newscomau specifies Ten argued Justice Lee only referenced those papers in relation to legal arguments.
Source Articles
Bruce Lehrmann loses last-ditch legal effort to appeal defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson
The high court has dismissed his bid to clear his name of findings that, on the balance of probabilities, he raped Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019 Bruce Lehrmann has lost his last legal a...
Bruce Lehrmann suffers crushing court blow as High Court knocks back appeal
Bruce Lehrmann has lost his last-ditch attempt to overturn his damaging defamation suit loss to Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson....
Breaking: High Court refuses to hear Bruce Lehrmann's appeal
The High Court was Bruce Lehrmann's last legal avenue to challenge a Federal Court ruling that found, on the balance of probabilities, he did rape Brittany Higgins....