Channel Ten demanded Bruce Lehrmann cough up $200,000 – and he hit them with an unexpected response

Network Ten has demanded Bruce Lehrmann post a $200,000 bond before his defamation appeal can proceed, but he has refused to pay.

In an application to the Federal Court on Friday, the TV network argued that Judge Michael Lee’s decision in Lehrmann’s lawsuit against Ten and The Project should be upheld.

Lehrmann had sued network and TV host Lisa Wilkinson over a 2021 episode of The Project in which his former colleague Brittany Higgins publicly alleged he raped her at Parliament House in 2019.

But in April, Judge Lee found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins in much the way she described in the interview with Wilkinson – meaning Ten and Wilkinson had won the case on the primary truth defence.

They lost the secondary qualified privilege defense, meaning they did not act fairly or reasonably before the story went to air or in its aftermath.

Lehrmann has filed an appeal to overturn the damning findings against him, prompting the TV station to ask him to post bail.

He had already received a bill for $2 million to cover the costs of the December defamation case.

There was doubt as to whether he could pay the bill. He had no financier funding the case, his lawyers worked on a no-win-no-fee basis and he will represent himself in the appeal.

It is believed Network Ten made the request to Lehrmann via email.

Lehrmann responded to Ten: “I firmly believe that my grounds of appeal have significant legal merit and are of great public interest.

“I deny your request.”

It is expected that Network Ten will make a formal application for the security payment to the court.

Lisa Wilkinson is photographed outside the Federal Court in February. She has asked the court to quash the judgments against her

Brittany Higgins (pictured) said for the first time that she was raped by a former colleague during a television interview with Lisa Wilkinson in 2021

In his appeal, Lehrmann asked for a new judge to overrule Judge Lee’s decision and enter judgment in his favor, and for Ten and Wilkinson to pay for the primary proceedings and appeal.

The notice listed four grounds for appeal, including that Judge Lee denied Lehrmann’s procedural fairness, and that findings regarding the truth defense were contrary to the evidence.

Lisa Wilkinson filed a brief earlier this week, arguing that the full court should uphold her defense of qualified privilege.