The person accused of raping Brittany Higgins has requested a Canberra court docket to vacate his trial dates lower than per week out from its scheduled begin.
Legal professionals for Bruce Lehrmann utilized for the dates to be vacated citing a scarcity of obtainable barristers together with his earlier counsel now unavailable to run the trial attributable to start on Monday.
Lehrmann has been dedicated to face trial within the ACT supreme court docket for allegedly raping the then Liberal staffer Higgins in an workplace inside Parliament Home in March 2019. Lehrmann has pleaded not responsible.
The court docket heard the earlier counsel not being out there was not the fault of Lehrmann.
An affidavit was produced to elucidate why no new counsel could possibly be discovered however the chief justice, Lucy McCallum, mentioned on Tuesday it “tells me little or no”, including it implied there have been no barristers out there Australia-wide.
She mentioned she would wish extra proof earlier than vacating the trial dates with the matter already having been pushed again a variety of occasions.
“I respect that it is likely to be a troublesome proposition to acquire a barrister prepared to begin the trial subsequent Monday ... however what you’ve given me is a blanket ‘we are able to’t discover anybody – nobody’s out there ever’,” she mentioned.
McCallum adjourned the appliance till Thursday to permit the defence to arrange extra proof relating to vacating the dates.
It was heard the matter might doubtlessly begin on 20 June or 27 June if it will allow a brand new barrister to signify Lehrmann. The trial is listed to run for 4 weeks.
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