Commentary Brittany Higgins has crashed from her pedestal, potentially bringing with her key government ministers. The silencing of proper public debate about the weaponization of this pivotal rape case has ended, revealing widespread community contempt about the way this has all been handled. When we look back at what caused it all to fall apart,…

Commentary Brittany Higgins has crashed from her pedestal, potentially bringing with her key government ministers. The silencing of proper public debate about the weaponization of this pivotal rape case has ended, revealing widespread community contempt about the way this has all been handled. When we look back at what caused it all to fall apart,…

Commentary Readers would be familiar with the statue of Lady Justice, which takes its name from the Roman goddess, Iustitia. Lady Justice is emblematic of one of the pillars of liberal democracy: the rule of law. Dressed in a toga, she holds in one hand balance scales, which represent impartiality and the obligation of the…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The trial of the man accused of sexually assaulting former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has been delayed after television host Lisa Wilkinson praised Higgins in her acceptance speech at an Australian TV award. Australian Captial Territory Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucy McCallum on Tuesday said the “extreme” media attention around the matter would undermine a…