HOBART — Bruce Lehrmann filed federal court proceedings to obtain legal funding for contesting corruption allegations and to challenge raids conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Commission in June 2024. Lehrmann is suing Special Minister of State Don Farrell and Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton.
Officials from the commission raided Lehrmann's home in June 2024 over allegations he misappropriated secret documents related to French submarines from the office of former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds in March 2019. Lehrmann denies the corruption allegations. A diary written by Lehrmann was seized from his home during the raids.
The federal government stated the diary must be declassified before it can be returned, claiming the seized diary contains eight pages of classified security information. Federal Court Justice Brigitte Markovic noted Lehrmann wrote the diary and designated its contents as "classified" but was not permitted to view it. "There's just something bizarre about that. He's seen all this material, he's the creator of it." Markovic said.
Commonwealth barrister Bora Kaplan SC stated the remainder of the diary could be returned to Lehrmann for use in his case after declassification. Kaplan also stated the government would provide the declassified material within a week. The government intends to argue at a July hearing that the classified pages should be redacted under public interest immunity. Lehrmann's solicitor Zali Burrows requested that the diary be held in the safe custody of the court, but Kaplan stated there are legal problems with providing classified material directly to the court.
Lehrmann is also seeking to expand his court claims, alleging the June 2024 raids exceeded the corruption watchdog's statutory authority. He stated he was compelled to give evidence at two hearings in Hobart in October 2024. Lehrmann claims the corruption investigation was spurred by what he described as frivolous, James Bond-like allegations. An October court hearing will determine whether Lehrmann can proceed with these new allegations and seek orders to cease the corruption investigation. The sexual assault allegations against Lehrmann have not been adjudicated in criminal court, though Federal Court Justice Michael Lee found in 2024 that the rape allegations against Lehrmann were proven on the balance of probabilities.
No independent assessment of Bruce Lehrmann’s claims was available.