Bruce Lehrmann lost his blockbuster defamation trial in the Federal Court on April 15 when Justice Michael Lee found on the civil standard that he had raped Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in the early hours of March 23, 2019.
The finding was a blow for Lehrmann who launched the defamation action in a bid to clear his name.
Lehramnn hasn’t had a job since early 2021 when Ms Higgins first went public with her rape claims against him in interview with Lisa Wilkinson on Network Ten program The Project.
But, as the loser of the trial, he will now be expected to cover his opponent’s legal fees.
Wilkinson’s husband Peter FitzSimons charged Lehrmann $4,616 because he was asked to supply produce documents relating to Ms Higgins’ $325,000 book deal with Penguin Random House ahead of the trial.
Mr FitzSimon brokered her deal in a three-way auction between two other major publishers in early 2021.
Last week, Justice Lee ordered that Lehrmann pay the full amount to Mr FitzSimons.
Wilkinson’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC charges $8000 a day and her total bill was worth more than $700,000 in October – two months before the actual month-long defamation hearing.
Since then, Ms Chrysanthou attended court for almost every day of the month-long hearing in December. Her costs are likely now worth more than $1million.
There’s also the costs of solicitors on both sides, and the fees for Network Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC.
The cost of the whole case is worth an estimated $10million.
