Federal Court Justice Michael Lee has presided over a costs hearing today between Bruce Lehrmann and Network 10, ordering the former political staffer to pay the bulk of 10’s legal costs.
During a hearing in the Federal Court in Sydney today 10’s lawyers said the actual costs were around $3.6 million, but it had heavily discounted the amount.
Today Justice Lee entered judgment in the sum of $2 million against Lehrmann in 10’s favour.
Bruce Lehrmann lost a defamation case when 10’s defence of truth was found to have been made out, when Justice Michael Lee found that on the balance of probabilities he had raped Ms Higgins. He has now lodged an appeal in the Federal Court against that ruling.
Mr Lehrmann’s 2022 trial over the alleged rape collapsed leaving no findings against him, and he maintains his innocence.
The court has previously heard that Lehrmann is an unemployed law student and there is a risk he will be tipped into bankruptcy.
“It is common ground the applicant is a man of modest means… it is not suggested that there is any real likelihood that he will be in a real position to pay a substantial costs order,” Justice Lee said.
Meanwhile a costs dispute between journalist Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10 is still being worked out.
It’s now emerged the wrangling continues and the gap between what she’s spent and what 10 will actually pay currently stands at over $1 million.
Legal sources remain confident that Channel 10 will be required to pay more to reduce that gap. Even then, Wilkinson is expected to pay a high price for her defence and the gap is likely to run into hundreds of thousands of dollars even in a best-case scenario.
Source: ABC, news.com.au
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