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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Blake Foden

Court to hear secret application in Parliament House rape case

Brittany Higgins, left, alleges fellow former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann, right, raped her at Parliament House. Pictures by Karleen Minney

The ACT Supreme Court is set to hear a secret application in the case of Bruce Lehrmann, who is accused of raping fellow former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins at Parliament House.

The courtroom will be closed to everyone except court officers, lawyers and parties to the case when the application is heard on Friday next week.

The nature of the application, which was filed on Tuesday, cannot be reported.

Chief Justice Lucy McCallum made a non-publication order on Thursday in relation to its contents and the evidence intended to be given in support of it.

Lehrmann, 27, is expected to face a retrial in February 2023 after pleading not guilty to a charge of engaging in sexual intercourse without consent.

He denies any form of sexual activity with Ms Higgins on March 23, 2019, when he is alleged to have raped her on a couch at Parliament House.

Lehrmann is accused of committing the offence in the ministerial office of Senator Linda Reynolds, for whom he and Ms Higgins worked at the time, after what has been described as "a drunken night out".

Chief Justice McCallum was forced to abort his first trial last month after learning a juror took academic papers about sexual assault into the jury room.

The juror's misconduct occurred despite the judge having instructed the jury at least 17 times not to conduct independent research during the trial.

ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold SC has confirmed his intention to run the case a second time.

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