An independent inquiry into how the justice system handled rape allegations made by former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins will hold its first public hearing.
The ACT government established the inquiry after accusations by police and prosecutors about each other’s conduct during the case against Higgins’ former colleague Bruce Lehrmann.
Former Queensland solicitor-general Walter Sofronoff was appointed head of the inquiry which will examine how territory police, prosecutors and a victim support service handled Higgins’ allegations.
ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold and Lehrmann’s defence lawyer Steven Whybrow will be the first witnesses to give evidence to the inquiry, which begins on May 8.
At an initial hearing in April, the inquiry heard the relationship between police and prosecutors was “beset by tension” from the outset of the investigation.
Points of conflict between the two offices arose about whether it was appropriate for police to interview Higgins for a second time and “confusion” about whether Lehrmann should be charged.
The offices also disagreed on how matters affecting Higgins’ credibility should be treated.
Lehrmann faced an ACT Supreme Court trial in October 2022, but juror misconduct meant a verdict was not reached.
Prosecutors later dropped the charge against Lehrmann because of concerns about a second trial’s impact on Higgins’ mental health.
Lehrmann denies raping Higgins in Parliament House in 2019.
Up to four weeks of public hearings will be held, and Sofronoff will report back to Chief Minister Andrew Barr at the end of July.
ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates and police officers will be called to give evidence.
Network Ten journalist Lisa Wilkinson, one of the original publishers of Higgins’ allegations in 2021, could also be called to give evidence.
The board has collected more than 140,000 relevant documents since its establishment in December.
