Bruce Lehrmann sued Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10 in the Federal Court over her 2021 interview with Brittany Higgins where she alleged he raped her in Parliament House in 2019. He has continually denied the allegations.
He was not named in that broadcast but claims friends and former colleagues were able to identify him as the alleged rapist.
The matter was heard before Justice Michael Lee in a four-week trial that concluded in December.
Justice Lee was set to deliver his verdict at 10.15am on Thursday, but that may not happen if Network Ten wins a bid on Tuesday to reopen the case.
The network’s application reportedly hinges on a 2000-page affidavit by former Channel Seven producer Taylor Auerbach.
Mr Auerbach was on the team at Seven’s Spotlight program when it secured exclusive interviews with Mr Lehrmann, which aired in June and August last year.
It was during those two interviews that classified information from Mr Lehrmann’s criminal trial was broadcast on national television.
The confidential material included Ms Higgins’ private texts and CCTV of Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann entering Parliament House before she was allegedly raped in March 2019.
It also included a five-hour meeting between Ms Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz, Lisa Wilkinson and The Project producer Angus Llewellyn, which was recorded before her television interview.
The leaked information had originally been collected by Australian Federal Police during the investigation into Ms Higgins’ rape allegations and was protected under the Harmon undertaking, which meant it could not be used for anything other than court proceedings.
Mr Auerbach, who left his job at Seven last year, reportedly claimed in his affidavit that Mr Lehrmann was the source of the confidential material.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Mr Lehrmann was the source of the leaked content.
Justice Lee will hear arguments on Tuesday evening as to whether he should accept Mr Auerbach’s evidence.
