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Judge delays trial following Logies speech

ACT Supreme Court concerned about media coverage jeopardising a fair trial in Brittany Higgins case.

The Logies would be nothing without some sort of controversy. But nobody expected this kind of outcome…

The ACT Supreme Court has agreed to delay a trial following an acceptance speech at the Logie Awards.

The trial of Bruce Lehrmann, who is charged with raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, will not go ahead next week. It was set to begin on Monday, June 27.

But Mr Lehrmann’s lawyers had sought a delay after a speech by The Project‘s Lisa Wilkinson after winning Most Outstanding News Coverage or Public Affairs Report.

ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum this morning said some of the public commentary had ignored the fact the trial had not yet been held, risking his chances of a fair trial.

“What concerns me most about this recent round is that the distinction between an allegation and a finding of guilt has been completely obliterated in the discussion on Sunday and Monday,’’ she said. “It’s sort of a crowing of the success of good investigative journalism.”

She slammed the media for its reporting of Ms Wilkinson’s speech, and an interview with Jonesy & Amanda on radio.

While handing down her judgement this afternoon, Justice McCallum said the award was not unexpected and that Ms Wilkinson had sought advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold on June 15 to discuss the evidence that she would give at the trial.

A note of the meeting by the DPP said that at the conclusion of the meeting, Ms Wilkinson was asked if she had any questions.

She then raised that she was nominated for a Logie and didn’t think she would win because it was organised by a rival network.

She then started to read the speech she planned to give but the DPP intervened to stop her and he had no power to approve or provide advice on the speech.

“We are not speech editors,” Mr Drumgold told her.

“Notwithstanding that clear and appropriate warning, upon receiving the award, Ms Wilkinson gave a speech in which she openly referred to and praised the complainant in the present trial,” Justice McCallum said.

Today, Justice McCallum said she was putting off the trial through gritted teeth.

Bruce Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to charges.

A new trial date has not been set.

Source: ABC, news.com.au