Lehrmann's legal team argues that he was denied procedural fairness during his trial, claiming the court's findings differed significantly from the case he presented and that he was surprised by the conclusions, which they say were more lenient than Higgins' account.

Justice Lee's original ruling suggested Lehrmann was indifferent to Higgins' consent during the sexual act, a conclusion his lawyers contend was unfair and inconsistent with the evidence he provided at trial.

Bruce Lehrmann is appealing a recent Federal Court decision that found he raped Brittany Higgins in 2019 inside Parliament House, a verdict that has led to widespread public vilification.

The appeal follows Lehrmann's loss in a defamation case to Lisa Wilkinson and Network 10, related to media reporting on Higgins' allegations, with the court's findings contributing to his negative reputation.

The appeal hearing began on August 20, 2025, with Lehrmann's lawyers asserting that procedural fairness was denied during the original trial.

Justice Michael Lee's initial ruling, based on the balance of probabilities, concluded Lehrmann raped Higgins and ordered him to pay $2 million in legal costs, with the court characterizing the incident as a 'non-violent rape'.

Lehrmann is seeking to overturn this judgment through a three-day appeal before the Full Court of the Federal Court, with Justices Wigney, Colvin, and Abraham presiding.

Lehrmann's 2022 criminal trial was halted due to juror misconduct, leading to the charges being dropped to protect Higgins' welfare, and no retrial is currently planned.

The appeal questions whether Lehrmann would have responded differently under cross-examination and if the court properly considered his denials of sexual contact with Higgins.

The case was heavily influenced by a 2021 TV interview where Higgins was portrayed as a rape victim, which the court found proved Lehrmann's guilt.

Lehrmann maintains his innocence, claiming he had no sexual contact with Higgins and disputes the original findings, while his lawyer argues he was taken by surprise by the court’s characterization of the incident.

Media coverage, social media insults, and harassment have contributed to Lehrmann becoming 'probably Australia's most hated man,' according to his lawyer.