Category: Brittany Higgins

PM Rules Out Referring $3 Million Higgins Compensation Payment to Anti-Corruption Body

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out referring Senator Katy Gallagher to the anti-corruption commission over a reported $3 million (US$2 million) compensation payment to former political advisor Brittany Higgins. Higgins received the payment from Gallagher’s department—in her capacity as finance minister—in December after a drawn-out saga involving rape allegations against former Liberal Party…


Bruce Lehrmann Rape Trial Inquiry Hearings to Begin

An independent inquiry into how the justice system handled rape allegations made by former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins will hold its first public hearing. The ACT government established the inquiry after accusations by police and prosecutors about each other’s conduct during the case against Higgins’ former colleague Bruce Lehrmann. Former Queensland solicitor-general Walter Sofronoff…


Here Come the Higgins Copycats

Commentary While our country recovers from the COVID lockdown years, across Australia there are thousands of families who look back to 2021 as the start of a very different nightmare—the year their sons were accused of sexual assault. This is the legacy of the media hype around Brittany Higgins. There’s a flood of copycat cases…


Brittany Higgins’ Case Shouldn’t Have Gone to Trial to Begin With, so Why Did It?

Commentary The Brittany Higgins celebrity saga continues with the white dress she wore to a feminist rally being considered an addition to the collection in the Museum of Australian Democracy. But another key player in this circus isn’t doing so well. Only a few months ago, the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) Director of Public Prosecutions…


Lehrmann Files Defamation Suit Against Ten, News Corp, and Wilkinson

Bruce Lehrmann has launched defamation actions against media outlets Ten Network and News Corp. Australia’s News Life Media for their coverage of his trial over rape allegations. Journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden were also named in his statement of claim, which was filed in the Federal Court on Feb. 7. Lehrmann received intense media…


Man Accused of Raping Brittany Higgins Lodges Professional Misconduct Complaint

The man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has filed a formal complaint of professional misconduct against the prosecutor involved in the case, accusing him of being politically motivated in his handling of the matter. Bruce Lehrmann faced trial for the alleged sexual assault of Higgins in Parliament House. But the case was…


The Brittany Higgins Case Is Over

Commentary Finally, it appeared the Brittany Higgins case was over when the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shane Drumgold, announced on Dec. 2 that the sexual assault charge against Bruce Lehrmann was to be dropped. Drumgold said the reason was because of an “unacceptable risk to the life of the complainant”…


Sexual Assault Trials of Brittany Higgins Officially Dropped

Prosecutors have abandoned charges against the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins following evidence that extended trials have taken a toll on the former Liberal staffer’s mental health. Higgins, who alleged ex-colleague Bruce Lehrmann raped her inside Parliament House in March 2019, was confirmed to have been admitted to the hospital. ACT Director of Public…


Australian Parliament House Assault Trial Implodes

Commentary What a circus. This week the Brittany Higgins/Bruce Lehrmann rape trial imploded when the jury was dismissed due to misconduct by a juror. The case seemed to be heading for a hung jury after five days of deliberation, during which not a single question was put to the judge—which suggests that the jury was…


Brittany Higgins Sexual Assault Trial Aborted Following Juror Misconduct

The trial of the man accused of sexually assaulting former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has been aborted without a verdict after a juror’s misconduct. Chief Justice Lucy McCallum wrote in her decision that at least one juror had accessed research material outside of what was provided to the jury during the trial. During a routine…