Bruce Lehrmann will find out if his defamation action against two media companies can proceed before a court considers his case against a third.

Federal Court Justice Michael Lee will deliver a judgment at noon on Friday to either grant or deny an extension of time sought by the former Liberal staffer.

Mr Lehrmann brought action against Network Ten and News Life Media over a segment on The Project and an article on news.com.au published in February 2021, when former staffer Brittany Higgins said she was raped inside then minister Linda Reynolds’ Parliament House office in March 2019.

The lawsuits, filed in February, came outside of the 12-month window required for most defamation cases, meaning a judge must grant permission for them to proceed.

A criminal trial brought against Mr Lehrmann in the ACT Supreme Court was derailed in October because of juror misconduct. In December, the prosecutor dropped the charges due to impacts a second trial would have on Ms Higgins’ mental health.

No findings have been made against Mr Lehrmann, who denies the allegations.

He has argued he could not bring civil proceedings earlier due to the criminal case, legal advice he had received against it, and his own mental health.

Ten, News and journalists Lisa Wilkinson and Samantha Maiden have attempted to shut down the cases by urging the court to reject the dual applications for an extension of time.

Mr Lehrmann has also filed a separate defamation lawsuit against the ABC for airing a joint address by Ms Higgins and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame at the National Press Club in February 2022.

Justice Lee will hold a case management hearing in that matter after delivering his judgment on Friday.