Bruce Lehrmann charged with two counts of rape in Toowoomba: Lawyer’s bid to halt trial delayed

Questions over police recordings of phone calls involving Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer are at the centre of a bid to halt his Queensland rape trial, a court has heard.

Former parliamentary staffer Bruce Lehrmann outside Toowoomba Magistrates Court in June, 2024. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

An application to permanently halt Bruce Lehrmann’s rape case has been pushed to next month after evidence that police allegedly unlawfully recorded his lawyer’s phone calls.

The former Liberal staffer, 29, was charged with two counts of rape over an alleged incident in his hometown of Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, in October 2021.

On Monday, his lawyer Zali Burrows lodged an application in Toowoomba District Court in response to an affidavit filed by the public prosecutor on Friday which did not hand over all evidence related to the investigation.

This application included a request for a permanent stay on the criminal proceedings.

The matter was heard before Judge Dennis Lynch at 9.30am on Wednesday in Ipswich District Court.

Lehrmann and his lawyer appeared by phone link where Judge Lynch adjourned the matter to the original date of July 25.

“I’ve seen the application and the communication, I’m sure the parties understand why we’re here,” he said.

Bruce Lehrmann and solicitor Zali Burrows. Picture: Elise Kaine

“The applicant then is to file all material by the 14th of July, the respondent to file all material by the 21st of July, the 590 double-A application most recently filed then is listed for hearing together with the other application on the 25th of July, 2025 and Mr Lehrman’s bail is enlarged.”

He said the material that was needed was “any material that the parties intend to rely upon, that includes whether its affidavit material or anything else, but also any written submissions that are intended to be relied upon must be filed by those dates.”

If the permanent stay application by Lehrmann’s lawyer is successful, the rape charges could be dropped.

In May, Ms Burrows had lodged an application to hand over all the relevant evidence in it’s possession.

Zali Burrows, lawyer for Bruce Lehrmann. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

The affidavit given by the ODPP on Friday was in response to that application.

The application states the ODPP was only made aware last Wednesday that Detective Senior Constable Ashlee Ryder had six items that was not originally provided to prosecutions as part of the brief of evidence.

Part of the items include four audio recordings between Detective Ryder and Lehrmann’s former legal representative, two audio recordings between Detective Ryder and the alleged victim and an audio recording between a witness and Detective Ryder.

Although Queensland laws allow people to record private conversations that they are a party to, NSW does not unless the parties consent, or other special circumstances are met. All of Mr Lehrmann’s lawyers have been based in NSW.

Originally published as Bruce Lehrmann charged with two counts of rape in Toowoomba: Lawyer’s bid to halt trial delayed