In a recent ruling, the Federal Court mandated that Bruce Lehrmann must pay journalist Peter FitzSimons for the expenses incurred as a result of a subpoena related to Lehrmann's defamation lawsuit. This legal battle stemmed from allegations made by Brittany Higgins during an interview broadcasted on The Project, where she claimed that Lehrmann had sexually assaulted her in Parliament House in March 2019. Subsequently, Lehrmann initiated legal proceedings against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson, leading to a court judgment revealing that FitzSimons would be reimbursed for the costs linked to the subpoena.
As part of the court's decision, Lehrmann has been ordered to pay $4,616 to FitzSimons, which includes covering the expenses associated with the journalist's application to have his costs covered. Following the collapse of Lehrmann's criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court due to juror misconduct, Justice Michael Lee concluded, based on the balance of probabilities, that Lehrmann was responsible for the assault on Higgins. Despite maintaining his innocence, Lehrmann's legal troubles continue as he faces financial repercussions for his failed defamation case against FitzSimons.