Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has launched Federal Court action, seeking funding for legal representation at a National Anti-Corruption Commission hearing after raids on his home in June last year.
Representing himself in the Federal Court today, Mr Lehrmann revealed he retained barrister Guy Reynolds and solicitor Zali Burrows for the hearing in October last year, in the belief he would get funding to pay them.
No further details were given in court about the circumstances of the raids or the nature of the hearing.
Lawyers for the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the government have suggested he has targeted the wrong entities.
But Mr Lehrmann told the court he has had to take action because “we’ve been handballed around”.
Mr Lehrmann has targeted the National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton and the Special Minister of State Don Farrell in his application.
Bruce Lehrmann was represented by Zali Burrows (left) at the hearings, along with barrister Guy Reynolds. (AAP: Steve Markham)
But Justice Brigitte Markovic suggested the question of funding a person in such circumstances should perhaps be with the attorney-general.
Lawyers for the government said the National Anti-Corruption Commissioner did not believe he should even be a party in the proceedings.
But the court heard there may be a need to clarify who makes a decision about funding for legal representation.
Justice Markovic agreed, telling the court: “The fundamental first question is … who are the proper respondents?”
The parties have been ordered to sort out how they want the case to proceed, with a directions hearing set for October 15.
Defamation appeal also before Federal Court
The case is not the only one Mr Lehrmann has before the Federal Court.
He’s waiting for a ruling on an appeal argued last month which challenged a finding by Justice Michael Lee that he had, on the balance of probabilities, raped his former colleague Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.
Mr Lehrmann also originated that case when he tried to sue Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson for defamation, over an interview with Ms Higgins.
During the interview Ms Higgins alleged she’d been raped at Parliament House but did not name Mr Lehrmann.
Mr Lehrmann took Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten to court, arguing he was defamed in an interview with Brittany Higgins. (ABC News)
In the Federal Court defamation case Mr Lehrmann argued he was easily identified.
But Ten and Lisa Wilkinson were found to have made out their truth defence, on the civil standard of the balance of probabilities, and Mr Lehrmann lost.
He was later ordered to pay $2 million in costs, but that has been delayed pending the appeal process.
The defamation proceedings had been delayed until after a criminal trial which was abandoned because of a juror’s misconduct.
That left no findings against Mr Lehrmann, who maintains his innocence.
During his appeal against the defamation finding, Mr Lehrmann was represented by Ms Burrows, who told the court he had not been able to pay a barrister for the appeal.
She argued Justice Lee “made up his own case” about what happened that night in Parliament House, saying the defamation case turned into a “quasi-rape trial”.
She told the court this is not what a judge is supposed to do.
The appeal court judges queried her, saying the findings had been within the boundaries of what had been described.
It is not known when the court will rule on the appeal.