After millions of dollars in legal costs, dozens of witnesses and a high-profile trial streamed live on YouTube, a Federal Court judge is set to hand down his decision in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation fight with Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson – but there may be no real winners.
Justice Michael Lee will deliver his decision in Sydney at 10.15am on Monday after a four-week trial last year and a surprise re-opening of the case this year. It will be broadcast live and Lee is expected to read extracts of his reasons in court before publishing the full written judgment.
Bruce Lehrmann outside the Federal Court in Sydney in December last year.Credit: James Brickwood
The trial took a detour this month after Ten won a bombshell application to call fresh evidence from a former Seven producer, Taylor Auerbach, about that network’s dealings with Lehrmann before the former federal Liberal staffer signed an exclusive interview deal with its Spotlight program.
Leading media lawyer and Minter Ellison partner Peter Bartlett, who acted for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in the Ben Roberts-Smith litigation, said that “books will be written” about the Lehrmann litigation, just as they were in the war veteran’s case.
“Many reputations have been tarnished,” Bartlett said.
“I feel for Justice Lee. He has to review seriously conflicting evidence. Evidence that sometimes conflicts with prior accounts given. Evidence that has been seriously challenged.
“The defences of truth and qualified privilege will be tested.”