Genius work from Brave Lisa Wilkinson
Tuesday, 21 June 2022
From the ABC.
The trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who is charged with raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, will not go ahead in the ACT Supreme Court next week as planned.
Mr Lehrmann is accused of sexually assaulting Ms Higgins inside an office in Parliament House in 2019.
He was charged last year after Ms Higgins went to police, and has pleaded not guilty.
His jury trial in the ACT Supreme Court was to begin on Monday, June 27.
But Mr Lehrmann's lawyers had sought a delay after a speech by journalist Lisa Wilkinson at the Logie Awards about her interview with Ms Higgins.
The court heard the intense media coverage and social media response risked his chances of a fair trial.
Today, the ACT's Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said she was putting off the trial "through gritted teeth", although she hoped it would run this year.
Earlier today, Chief Justice McCallum noted that some of the commentary had ignored the fact the trial had not yet been held.
"What concerns me is that the distinction between allegation and guilt has been completely obliterated," she said.