As Bruce Lehrmann sues Network Ten for defamation, his lawyers will continue to probe the reasonableness of a report on The Project over allegations he raped Brittany Higgins.

Producer Angus Llewellyn has sat through a full day of cross-examination by Lehrmann’s legal team and will return to the witness stand on Wednesday.

He has faced heated questions over whether he properly questioned the reliability and credibility of Ms Higgins’ claims before airing the report on The Project in February 2021.

Questioning by Lehrmann’s barrister Matthew Richardson SC has focused on claims Ms Higgins had her phone wiped by someone from parliament and she was pressured into staying silent about the rape allegation.

Mr Richardson has suggested Mr Llewellyn pressured Ms Higgins to go to police in early 2021 to help Ten’s upcoming news story. This claim has been denied.

High-profile journalist Lisa Wilkinson will take the stand after Mr Llewellyn’s questioning wraps up.

Both have been called by Ten as part of its defence of qualified privilege under which it attempts to prove to the court it had a duty or interest in publishing the story and its audience had an interest in viewing it.

Ms Higgins alleges she was raped by Lehrmann in the Parliament House office of their then-boss, Senator Linda Reynolds, in March 2019.

He denies the allegation, insisting no sexual contact occurred, and is suing Ten and Wilkinson for defamation.

Lehrmann was charged in August 2021 over the alleged rape, but his criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court was derailed by juror misconduct.

Prosecutors did not seek a second trial, citing concerns for Ms Higgins’ mental health.

Lehrmann is also before Queensland courts accused of raping another woman twice in Toowoomba in October 2021.

He has not entered a plea, but his lawyers have indicated he denies the charges.

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