Bruce Lehrmann has discontinued defamation proceedings against News Corp over its initial reporting of Brittany Higgins’ allegations after he settled with the media company.
News.com.au said in a statement that the settlement involved the payment of a portion of Lehrmann’s legal costs only.
The outlet has not apologised or corrected its articles, which remain online.
It said it stood by its initial reporting but has added an editor’s note to the two stories Lehrmann had sued over. The editor’s note says:
“Bruce Lehrmann commenced defamation proceedings claiming that this article accused him of sexually assaulted Brittany Higgins. These proceedings were discontinued and settled on terms satisfactory to Mr Lerhmann and the publisher of this website. News.com.au notes that a criminal charge of sexual assault was brought against Mr Lehrmann and later dropped. News.com.au does not suggest that he was guilty of that charge.”
Lehrmann commenced defamation proceedings against News Life Media, a News Corp subsidiary and publisher of News.com.au, and journalist Samantha Maiden earlier this year. News.com.au and Maiden were the first to publish Higgins’ allegations of rape, which Lehrmann denies.
Lehrmann won a preliminary battle to convince the court to allow his defamation claim to proceed, despite it being outside the usual 12-month time limit.
Lehrmann also sued Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over their initial reporting of Higgins’ allegations, and has subsequently commenced proceedings against the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for broadcasting a live address by Higgins to the national press club.
There has been no settlement between Lehrmann and Network Ten, Wilkinson or the ABC.
That leaves Network Ten and Wilkinson, who are represented by separate counsel, alone in arguing the truth defence at any future trial. The ABC has not specifically raised a truth defence but can rely on one, if it is proven by the other defendants at trial.
In a statement, News.com.au editor-in-chief Lisa Muxworthy said no damages had been paid to Lehrmann, though she said a contribution had been made to his legal costs.
Muxworthy said the outlet stood by its reporting.
“We thank Ms Brittany Higgins for telling her story and for all that she has endured in making that choice to improve the system for complainants,” she said.
“We will continue to report on the general issues surrounding sexual assault allegations, our justice system and how to improve that system for men and women.”
Lehrmann’s legal team confirmed the settlement and referred the Guardian to the editor’s note published on the News.com.au stories.
He has denied raping Higgins, a fellow Liberal staffer in Linda Reynolds’ office, and pleaded not guilty at trial.
His trial was aborted due to juror misconduct and a second trial was abandoned due to concerns about the risk it posed to Higgins’ life.
