Judge in Bruce Lehrmann defamation case suddenly returns from the court’s Christmas break and slaps alleged troll with extraordinary order
A Federal Court judge has taken a man to court after he was accused of unlawfully posting several videos on YouTube about the defamation case against Bruce Lehrmann.
Near the end of the five-week hearing earlier this month, Judge Michael Lee ordered tech giant Google to reveal who was behind an account that uploaded videos showing the court broadcast.
The court has now sent Glenn Logan to trial.
He is alleged to be behind the account that allegedly violated a federal court injunction banning the rebroadcast of the YouTube livestream of the defamation lawsuit. The conduct could amount to contempt of court.
Bruce Lehrmann sues Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson (right).
Despite the Federal Court being closed over the Christmas holidays, Judge Lee on Friday ordered Mr Logan to appear in court in February.
“The court orders that: Mr Glenn Logan appears in person before the Federal Court of Australia on 13 February 2024 at 9:30 am,” the order reads.
Under the orders, Mr Logan, personally or through his legal representative, will have to tell Judge Lee why contempt proceedings should not be brought against him for the alleged breach of the prohibition orders.
Mr Logan has not been charged with contempt.
The account is said to have breached the orders by publishing nine videos on a YouTube channel, Feminism Debunked.
Of the nine videos identified by Judge Lee, only two remain online.
One was posted on December 11, in which the video tells its followers: 'YouTube has predictably removed all but one of my videos from the libel trial against Lisa Wilkinson, that's the bad news.'
The account urges his followers to watch his videos on other platforms as it claims every video on his channel has been demonetized because the website is run “by extreme feminists.”
In addition to airing the defamation case, the account contains hundreds of videos attacking women and feminism.
Common subjects in the videos include sexual assault survivor Grace Tame, Brittany Higgins and journalist Lisa Wilkinson.
Brittany Higgins is seen in court. She has since moved to Lunas, France
Mr Lehrmann is suing Ms Wilkinson and Network 10 over an interview with Ms Higgins that aired on The Project, in which he claims he was guilty of raping Ms Higgins at Parliament House in 2019.
He consistently denies the allegations and has pleaded not guilty to the charge, which was dropped in 2022 after a criminal trial was abandoned due to juror misconduct.
The defamation case took place in court in the last five weeks of the court's term.
Mr Lehrmann and Ms Higgins, their friends, family and colleagues, as well as Ms Wilkinson and others who worked on the story, gave their version of events.
Judge Lee reserved his decision in this case.