<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>331607</docID> <postdate>2024-10-23 09:56:06</postdate> <headline>Lehrmann avoids $200k hit as appeal given green light</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-331608" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20240617190869757090-original-1-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Bruce Lehrmann opposed paying $200,000 security to pursue his defamation case appeal. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Miklos Bolza</strong> in Sydney</span></p> <p><strong>Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has dodged a $200,000 hit to his already cash-strapped pockets after a judge ordered his defamation appeal can proceed without it.</strong></p> <p>Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson failed in their bid to get the funds paid into court as security in the event the 29-year-old loses a challenge to his devastating legal loss.</p> <p>On Wednesday, Federal Court Justice Wendy Abraham declined to make the proposed orders.</p> <p>The judge also allowed Lehrmann's bid to stay previous court orders that he pay $2 million in legal costs to Ten for their costs of defending the proceeding.</p> <p>He will also be on the hook for Wilkinson's legal costs which are currently unknown.</p> <p>Earlier in October, Justice Abraham heard that Lehrmann was living on Centrelink benefits in part because the broadcaster contributed to his image as a rapist.</p> <p>"They are one of the contributors as to why he's pretty much unemployable," his lawyer Zali Burrows told the court.</p> <p>Ten has already served a bankruptcy notice on Lehrmann but agreed not to take any further steps until the appeal is resolved.</p> <p>The 29-year-old sued over a February 2021 report on The Project interviewing Brittany Higgins about her allegations she was sexually assaulted in Parliament House in March 2019.</p> <p>In April, Justice Michael Lee ruled that Lehrmann sexually assaulted Ms Higgins in Parliament House based on the balance of probabilities.</p> <p>Lehrmann denies the claim and is not facing criminal charges over the incident after his trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.</p> <p>Ten's barrister Matt Collins KC pushed for the $200,000 payment, saying it was not in the public interest to allow the appeal.</p> <p>Wilkinson's barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC said Lehrmann had sued by choice after escaping a criminal conviction or acquittal.</p> <p>"His impecuniosity did not deprive him of having his day in court and he's had it," she said.</p> <p>"Why should he get another?"</p> </body>