In literally the last days of a case it might have easily lost, Paramount’s Network Ten has reframed its defamation defence in the Federal Court around this argument: can a man who lied to his lawyers, judges and the public – a man who was fired, and then sold his story for prostitutes, over-priced steak and rent – have any reputation worthy of being protected from the horrible accusation of rape?

Bruce Lehrmann, the ministerial adviser-turned-professional litigant accused, as all Australia knows, of assaulting colleague Brittany Higgins in 2019, hasn’t had the opportunity to defend himself against the allegation that he took the most sensitive of information about his victim – legally protected too – and shared it with the Seven television network.