TRIALS – AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Higgins lashes justice system stacked against victims

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Original article by Kristin Shorten, Remy Varga, Sarah Ison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 28-Oct-22

Alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins could potentially face a contempt of court charge over comments she made after the trial of Bruce Lehrmann was aborted. Higgins addressed the media after the jury had been discharged, stating that she felt that she had been the person on trial as her life had been publicly scrutinised while Lehrmann was not required to give evidence during his trial. Lehrmann’s lawyers have referred Higgins to both the Australian Federal Police and the ACT Supreme Court over the comments. The jury was discharged after it emerged that one of them had an academic paper on sexual assault. Justice Lucy McCullum said she had warned the jurors on multiple occasions that they must not undertake any research of their own on matters relating to the case. Lehrmann will face a new trial in February.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE, SUPREME COURT OF THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Wilkinson warned over Higgins speech

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Original article by Sarah Ison, Emily Kowal
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 22-Jun-22

The ACT Supreme Court has indefinitely delayed the trial of a man who allegedly raped former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in Canberra. Chief Justice Lucy McCallum said the trial will have to be postponed after Ten Network presenter Lisa Wilkinson referred to Higgins in her Logies acceptance speech on Sunday night. Wilkinson won a Logie award for her interview with Higgins in 2021. Justice McCallum warned that the publicity generated by the speech had ‘obliterated’ the distinction between an allegation and a finding of guilt. The court heard that ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold had told Wilkinson the case could be postponed if she referred to it at the Logies.

CORPORATES
SUPREME COURT OF THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY, TEN NETWORK HOLDINGS LIMITED