Brittany Higgins trial: Logies star Lisa Wilkinson’s breakfast TV critic hired as her lawyer by lunchtime

Lisa Wilkinson and the Ten Network hired a top barrister, Matthew Collins, just hours after he appeared on national television and slammed her Logies speech as ‘ill-advised’ .

Lisa Wilkinson was warned four days before the Logies that she could hinder the trial from going ahead by speaking. Picture: Getty Images

Lisa Wilkinson hired a barrister just hours after he appeared on national television and slammed her ­Logies speech as “ill-advised”.

On Wednesday morning, Matthew Collins, president of the Australian Bar Association, was interviewed on the Seven Network’s Sunrise program and said it was a “serious possibility” that authorities might look into charging The Project co-host Wilkinson with contempt of court after her Logies speech on Sunday night, which subsequently resulted in the delay of the trial of the man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.

Within four hours of his appearance on the breakfast TV show, Dr Collins was approached to represent the Ten Network and Wilkinson.

During the TV interview, the Melbourne-based barrister openly canvassed the possibility that Wilkinson’s tribute speech to Ms Higgins at the Logies – which drew the ire of ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum and prompted her to delay the trial of the accused, Bruce Lehrmann – could land her in legal strife.

Matthew Collins. Picture: David Geraghty

“The mainstream media, you guys, understand the risk inherent in talking about cases that are about to go to trial before courts – particularly serious, high-profile cases – so clearly this (Wilkinson’s Logies speech) was ill advised,” he told Sunrise.

“It’s certainly possible that the authorities will be looking at the speech that she made to the Logies and assessing that against the standard which applies in this branch of the law.

“Did anything that she do … interfere with the administration of justice?”

A Ten spokeswoman said the network “fully supports Lisa Wilkinson” and confirmed the engagement of Dr Collins to represent both the presenter and the network.

“Both Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obli­gations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event,” she said. “In light of the continuing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

It's been revealed Lisa Wilkinson hired top lawyer Matthew Collins just hours after he criticised her Logies speech as "ill-advised' and suggested she could face charges for delaying Brittany Higgins' rape trial on Sunrise yesterday. pic.twitter.com/q99qxS3ALy

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) June 22, 2022

The spokeswoman did not respond when The Australian asked whether Wilkinson sought advice from the network’s lawyers prior to delivering her speech at the Logies.

Wilkinson was also contacted for comment by The Australian but did not respond.

While Ten’s management is standing by Wilkinson, there are rumblings among other high-profile on-air journalists that The Project co-host enjoys favourable treatment at the network. A close colleague said Wilkinson was a “protected species at Ten’’; others are understood to be furious that, given the serious consequences of her speech, there have not been any in-house repercussions for the veteran journalist.

Wilkinson also weathered an attack from a former colleague, presenter Tim Bailey. After the news broke of the rape trial being delayed, Bailey posted on Twitter: “Hey Lisa, pull ya head in. I know this might be difficult, because it is a very big head. But please try. #LisaWilkinson #Logies2022 #carparkthief”. The post has since been deleted.

Illustration: Johannes Leak

The ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday delayed the criminal trial indefinitely, after Chief Justice McCallum said Wilkinson had failed to take advice given to her prior to the awards night about the dangers of making comments on the rape case. “She openly referred to and praised the complainant in the present trial,” she said.

It was revealed that Wilkinson was warned four days before the awards ceremony that she could hinder the trial from going ahead by speaking about it at the awards night.

Wilkinson won the award for the most outstanding news coverage or public affairs report for her interview aired on The Project in January 2021, during which Ms Higgins detailed the alleged rape by a former colleague in Parliament House in Canberra on the night of March 22, 2019.

On Tuesday, Justice McCallum said Wilkinson’s speech had “completely obliterated” the line between allegation and guilt

“The implicit premise of (Wilkinson’s speech) is to celebrate the truthfulness of the story she ­exposed,” she said.

In August last year, Wilkinson tweeted urging people to be careful commenting on the alleged rape claims. “Naming the man on social media & passing judgment could have dire consequences for the outcome of any trial,” she wrote.

Wilkinson this week took the unusual step of blocking people from making comments on her Instagram account, where she has 369,000 followers, and recently uploaded seven photos from Sunday night’s star-studded event.

Ms Higgins deactivated her ­social media accounts, including Twitter and Instagram, on Tuesday and would not comment when contacted.

On Tuesday night, The Project made a brief reference to the court’s decision to delay the trial, but failed to mention the reason for the postponement was Wilkinson’s problematic speech.

Sydney breakfast hosts Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones, who broadcast on WSFM 107.1, were criticised in court for comments made about the upcoming trial.

An Australian Radio Network spokeswoman told The Australian the pair had “inadvertently made some comments around the case” but defended their impact on the criminal trial.

“In light of continuing proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time,” the spokeswoman said.

The case returns to court on Thursday.