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Sunday, May 5, 2024

Justice ‘denied’ in review of Bruce Lehrmann rape trial

The prosecutor in charge of Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial is attempting to overturn damning findings against him.

Shane Drumgold claims he was denied justice during an inquiry into actions of police and prosecutors involved in the high profile case.

He is seeking a court declaration the report is invalid.

Mr Drumgold is challenging the findings of a review conducted by former Queensland judge Walter Sofronoff, who found he engaged in malpractice and unethical conduct.

Lehrmann was accused of raping Brittany Higgins, a fellow political staffer, inside Parliament House.

He denied the allegation.

His trial was abandoned due to jury misconductand a retrial called off overconcerns about Ms Higgins’ health.

In a subsequent inquiry, Mr Sofronoff endorsed the actions of police officers involved in the case, but tore shreds off the prosecution.

He found that while the decision to prosecute Lehrmann was sound, Mr Drumgold lost objectivity, lied to the court’s chief justice and wrongly tried to keep material from the defence.

Mr Drumgold’s legal team have argued the findings were laced with bias and the inquiry was doomed from the start.

Mr Sofronoff was “infected” through constant communication with a newspaper columnist who covered the case and wrote a series of “anti-Drumgold” articles, the court heard.

The journalist and former judge exchanged dozens of calls and emails throughout the inquiry and Mr Sofronoff gave her an advanced copy of his final report as well as handwritten notes.

Laywers for Mr Drumgold argue the report was written with an apprehension of bias and denied him natural justice.

The case will return to the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

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