Bruce Lehrmann Hires New Lawyer for Toowoomba Rape Trial, Prepares Defense
March 10, 2025
On March 10, 2025, Zali Burrows, a Sydney-based lawyer, announced she will represent Bruce Lehrmann in his upcoming trial in the Queensland district court at Toowoomba.
Lehrmann, a former Liberal party staffer, has switched solicitors just months before his trial on two counts of rape.
He has dismissed his previous lawyer, Rowan King of RK Law, who had been involved in his legal matters since January 2023.
Lehrmann has not yet entered pleas for the charges in Toowoomba, but his legal team has indicated he intends to defend against them.
The charges stem from an alleged incident on October 10, 2021, where Lehrmann is accused of raping a woman twice after meeting her at a strip club.
The complainant initially engaged in consensual sex with Lehrmann but later woke to find him having sex with her without her consent.
Prosecutor Nicole Friedewald described the complainant's state during the second incident as 'not enthusiastic', alleging that Lehrmann continued despite her lack of consent.
A pre-trial directions hearing for Lehrmann's case is scheduled for March 27, 2025.
In 2023, a change in Queensland legislation allowed Lehrmann's identity to be publicly revealed, following a failed attempt to obtain a non-publication order.
A previous criminal case against Lehrmann in the ACT Supreme Court was abandoned in 2022 due to juror misconduct, resulting in no verdict.
Burrows is also handling Lehrmann's appeal related to a defamation case against Network 10 in the Federal Court of NSW, which is tied to allegations made by Brittany Higgins.
The charges against Lehrmann in Toowoomba are separate from a civil defamation case in Sydney, which relates to different allegations.
Summary based on 2 sources
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Sources

The Guardian • Mar 10, 2025
Bruce Lehrmann switches lawyers before Toowoomba rape trial
news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site • Mar 10, 2025
‘Rain hell’: Lehrmann’s shock rape case move