The ACT director of public prosecutions has confirmed his intent to proceed with a retrial of the man accused of raping Brittany Higgins.
Bruce Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent.
He remains on bail after juror misconduct derailed his first trial in the ACT Supreme Court, which ran for 12 days.
Chief Justice Lucy McCallum dismissed the jury after it was discovered a juror had conducted independent research on the case, despite repeated warnings not to.
Deliberations had been going for five days and jurors had not yet reached a verdict.
After declaring a mistrial, the chief justice proposed a new trial start date in February 2023.
The ACT’s top prosecutor Shane Drumgold confirmed his intent to pursue the matter next year.
“I confirm that we have made the decision that the retrial of DPP v Lehrmann will commence 20 February 2023,” he said in a statement.
Ms Higgins alleges Lehrmann raped her inside the office of former Liberal defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, who they worked for as staffers.Â
He denies any sexual interaction took place.
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By Maeve Bannister in Canberra
