Wednesday 22 June 2022 06:38 AM Channel Ten jumps to the defence of Lisa Wilkinson after Brittany Higgins ... trends now
Channel 10 has pledged support for high-profile presenter Lisa Wilkinson after she derailed Brittany Higgins' rape trial with her rogue Logies speech.
The veteran journalist won an award at the star-studded ceremony on Monday for her work bringing to light Ms Higgins' claims that she was raped by former Liberal staffer, Bruce Lehrmann, inside Parliament House in 2019.
Mr Lehrmann has always protested his innocence.
However, ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that recent media publicity had prejudged Mr Lehrmann's right to a fair trial - moving the lengthy hearing from next week, to October.
While Wilkinson could be charged with contempt of court for her actions, the network jumped to her defence.
Lisa Wilkinson's Logie acceptance speech where she referenced Brittany Higgins could see her facing legal charges after Bruce Lehrmann rape trial is delayed
TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson (left) is pictured with former political staffer Brittany Higgins (right)
A network spokesman said: 'Network 10 acknowledges the ruling by Chief Justice McCallum and fully supports Lisa Wilkinson.'
'Both Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event.
'In light of the continuing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.'
Dr Matthew Collins, President of the Australian Bar Association, told Sunrise on Wednesday that it is a 'serious possibility' that authorities may look into charging Wilkinson with contempt of court.
Contempt of court is when an individual who is called to give evidence intentionally engages in behaviour considered to be disrespectful to the court or magistrate.
Lehrmann's trial likely to be later this year after Chief Justice Lucy McCallum agreed to delay court case after Lehrmann's lawyers argued Ms Wilkinson's actions threatened a fair trial
He said Wilkinson could find herself in hot water as her comments had the 'tendency to interfere with the administration of justice'.
'It's certainly possible that the authorities will be looking at the speech that she made to the Logies and assessing that speech against the standard which applies in this branch of the law and that standard is did anything she do have a tendency to interfere with the administration of justice,' he said.
'The whole point is that
