Brittany Higgins reaches confidential settlement

Ms Higgins indicated she was going to sue for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence and ­victimisation.

Picture: Gary Ramage

Ms Higgins indicated she was going to sue for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence and ­victimisation.

A confidential settlement has been reached between Brittany Higgins and the commonwealth in the wake of the former Liberal Party staffer’s claims that she was raped at Parliament House.

Lawyer Noor Blumer, acting for Ms Higgins, issued a statement on Tuesday night.

“At a mediation held today, the commonwealth and Ms Higgins settled her claims,” Ms Blumer said. “At the request of Ms Higgins, the parties have agreed that the terms of the settlement are confidential.”

The agreement came after a day of mediation.

Ms Higgins’s civil action, launched on December 4, named the respondents as Liberal senators and former ministers Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash, for whom Ms Higgins worked, as well as the commonwealth. Senator Reynolds is believed to have since been removed from the claim.

Ms Higgins alleged she was raped in the office of Senator Reynolds, then defence industry minister, by Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann in the early hours of March 23, 2019.

Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and denied any sexual intercourse took place.

The legal documents made it clear that Ms Higgins was going to sue for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence and ­victimisation.

At the time, the claim was ­expected to be worth about $3m, including $2.5m for future economic loss, past economic loss ­approaching $100,000 and general damages of $100,000.

None of those figures was mentioned on Tuesday, according to the ABC. “The parties welcome the fact of the settlement,” Ms Blumer said.

Mr Lehrmann’s trial was aborted in late October because of juror misconduct and a retrial had been scheduled for February 20. Before the jury was dismissed, jurors had told the court they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Mr Lehrmann is also considering civil actions including a Comcare claim and defamation proceedings against media ­outlets.

The decision by the commonwealth to settle comes as ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr considers holding an inquiry into the trial of Mr Lehrmann after a bitter disagreement between the territory’s Director of Public Prosecutions and police.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Mr Barr said ACT Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury and the Director-General of the Justice and Community Safety Directorate briefed cabinet on Monday “regarding the issues raised … in the Lehrmann trial”.

@theoz.com.au

Brittany Higgins is suing two former liberal cabinet members Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash. She has also labelled the Australian justice system a ‘national shame’. #brittanyhiggins #brucelehrmann

♬ News, news, seriousness, tension(1077866) - Lyrebirds music