The ACT Director of Public Prosecutions has confirmed Bruce Lehrmann will face a retrial next year for the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.
Shane Drumgold has set a new trial date for 20 February 2023, issuing a statement on Monday confirming the decision.
Lehrmann faces one charge of sexual assault without consent and has pleaded not guilty.
“I confirm we have made the decision that the retrial of DPP v Lehrmann will commence 20 February 2023,” Drumgold said in a statement.
The retrial dates comes after the first trial was aborted, when the jury was discharged over juror misconduct. One juror was found to have accessed information that had not been presented as evidence in court.
The juror had brought academic papers into the jury room, which was only discovered during a routine tidy.
The misconduct occurred despite Chief Justice Lucy McCallum warning the jury 17 times not to conduct their own research.
“During the course of the trial … I must have given the jury at least 17 warnings and prohibitions on undertaking any research of their own,” McCallum said as she discharged the jury.
The new trial date has been set pending the prosecution’s decision to proceed.
Shane Drumgold has confirmed he will pursue the retrial.