![]() On Friday, the federal opposition intervened to say that Barr should speak publicly to outline the ACT government’s response. It will now release the report and its interim response early next week. The government had planned to take one month to release its findings, despite criticisms of its slow approach. His first trial was aborted due to juror misconduct and a planned re-trial was abandoned due to fears for Higgins’ mental health.īut the full detail of what Sofronoff found has been made available only to the Australian and the ABC, which received embargoed copies of the report on the condition that it not be published prior to its release by the ACT government. ![]() Lehrmann pleaded not guilty and has consistently denied the allegation that he raped Higgins. Sources say the Sofronoff report found the prosecution was properly brought and there was enough evidence to charge Lehrmann, though that is not an indication of his guilt or innocence. Given what the prosecution has done to me, I may never work again.” “I’m not interested in becoming a millionaire, but I do want to perhaps get on with my life and maybe buy a house. “I’ve got lawyers that need to be paid, people who have supported me, like my mum and uncle, who need to be supported,” he told the Daily Telegraph. Lehrmann says he has now instructed his solicitors to bring a claim against the government. The findings were damning of Shane Drumgold SC, the DPP who ran the Lehrmann trial, according to sources who spoke to the Guardian. “It served to ensure that when the government published the report that those two journalists would be in a position swiftly and promptly to write and broadcast stories that would have at their foundation a true appreciation of the result of the work of the Commission,’’ Sofronoff said, according to. In that letter, obtained by, Sofronoff says he provided it to the Australian and the ABC on the express agreement that the findings would not be published until after the government released the report. ![]() Sofronoff’s explanation was contained in a letter penned to the government on Friday. “The government remains extremely disappointed in this action, but at this time, our focus is on responding to the report and ensuring procedural fairness is afforded to all parties named in it,” the spokesperson said. The government spokesperson said Sofronoff had given an explanation for “why he chose to release the report to selected journalists prior to providing it to the chief minister”. The ABC was also provided with an embargoed copy of the report and published a version later on Thursday. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup ![]() Its publication followed an earlier report by which reported some of the findings of Sofronoff, citing anonymous sources. It published a detailed story on the findings on Wednesday night, but insists it did not breach the embargo. The Australian was one of two outlets provided with an embargoed copy of the report. Sofronoff has been contacted for comment. The Guardian is not suggesting Sofronoff broke the law or will face punishment. The law includes punishments for any member of a board of inquiry who “produce to any person, or permit any person to have access to” documents provided for in the act. The ACT’s Inquiries Act only allows boards of inquiry to submit their reports to the chief minister of the ACT, who then decides how and when it is presented to the ACT legislative assembly. The independent board of inquiry was established to investigate the ACT criminal justice system’s handling of Bruce Lehrmann’s prosecution for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins. An ACT government spokesperson said on Friday the report had also been provided to selected journalists prior to being handed to the chief minister, Andrew Barr. ![]()
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