On Monday, Sydney’s federal court is set to hear Justice Michael Lee deliver his verdict on the defamation case filed by Bruce Lehrmann against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson. The case stems from an interview aired by Network Ten in which Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Parliament House, implicating Lehrmann by association. Lehrmann has denied these accusations and proceeded to sue for defamation.

The case has seen developments, including a delay caused by the introduction of new evidence. Notably, there were discussions around Lehrmann allegedly receiving payment for an interview, with claims that expenses related to this were broadly termed and invoiced. Both Lehrmann and Higgins have faced scrutiny over their credibility throughout the trial, which has seen a range of emotional testimonies and conflicting evidence.

The core of Justice Lee’s determination will revolve around whether Lehrmann was sufficiently identifiable in the interview and whether Network Ten and Wilkinson can substantiate their defense, either by proving the truth of the statements made or by establishing qualified privilege.

The outcome of this highly anticipated judgment, following what has been a closely watched and emotionally charged trial, will be revealed after Justice Lee’s live oral summary.