The case against a former political advisor accused of raping a colleague inside Australia's Parliament House has been dismissed, due to "misconduct" on the part of the jury.

Following a night out in March 2019, Brittany Higgins was allegedly sexually assaulted on the sofa of a government minister by Bruce Lehrmann. He claims they didn't engage in any sexual activity.

But after a 12-day trial and five days of discussion, the jury was expelled once it became known that one of its members had looked at academic material on sexual assault, which is against trial rules.

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"It may be that no harm has been done, but that is not a risk I can take," Chief Justice Lucy McCallum told a Canberra court.

As per Australian rules, a jury is expected to reach a judgement based on evidence presented in court, and not its own research.

Judge McCallum estimated that she had warned the jury about conducting their own research at least 17 times, and "probably much more" times.

A court representative found the academic paper after it fell off a table during "regular housekeeping" of the jury room.

Higgins waived her right to privacy before disclosing her narrative to authorities in early 2021 and went public with her allegations in prominent media and television interviews.

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Her accusations served as the impetus for what has been dubbed Australia's "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-opening-arguments-to-start-in-weinstein-sex-assault-trial-528000">MeToo moment</a>," which sparked protests and discussions about women's safety across the country and exposed a toxic work environment in Australian politics.

Higgins and&nbsp;Lehrmann shared an office with then-Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds, the court heard during the trial. They both had beverages on March 22, 2019, with coworkers and other people.

After spending hours at two Canberra bars, Higgins claimed to be the most drunk she had ever been, the jury was informed. The two then shared a cab to Parliament House.

As the jurors watched CCTV footage of her and Lehrmann entering the premises, she was sobbing inside the courtroom.

In a police interview that was shown to the jury, Higgins said that she had slept off in Minister Reynolds' office before waking up to find Lehrmann having sex with her.

She admitted to crying to the cops. She said, "I told him no; I told him to stop."

Higgins could not have given consent to intercourse since she was "unconscious," according to the prosecution.

The jury heard that she initially reported the alleged rape to authorities in the days that followed, but she later withheld filing a formal complaint out of fear of losing her work.

Although Lehrmann declined to testify, he stated that what was alleged "just didn't happen" in a police interview that was played to the court.

Parts of Higgins' testimony, according to his attorney Steven Whybrow, were "completely and absolutely inconsistent."

Higgins arrived in court to see the case's demise but fled before the judge made her decision.

When they were informed that they were being discharged, a few jury members were very angry.

They informed the court on Tuesday that they had so far been unable to come to a unanimous decision, but the judge promptly ordered them back to continue discussing.

"Everyone is disappointed at what happened but it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to say anything at this stage," Lehrmann's lawyer told media outside the court.

The issue of whether Lehrmann should stand trial again has not yet been debated by the parties, but Justice McCallum scheduled a date in February just in case.

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The case against a former political advisor accused of raping a colleague inside Australia's Parliament House has been dismissed, due to "misconduct" on the part of the jury.

The case against a former political advisor accused of raping a colleague inside Australia's Parliament House has been dismissed, due to "misconduct" on the part of the jury. Following a night out in March 2019, Brittany Higgins was allegedly sexually assaulted on the sofa of a government minister by Bruce Lehrmann. He claims they didn't engage in any sexual activity. But after a 12-day trial and five days of discussion, the jury was expelled once it became known that one of its members had looked at academic material on sexual assault, which is against trial rules. Also read | Judge permits Harvey Weinstein's former assistant to testify in sexual assault case "It may be that no harm has been done, but that is not a risk I can take," Chief Justice Lucy McCallum told a Canberra court. As per Australian rules, a jury is expected to reach a judgement based on evidence presented in court, and not its own research. Judge McCallum estimated that she had warned the jury about conducting their own research at least 17 times, and "probably much more" times. A court representative found the academic paper after it fell off a table during "regular housekeeping" of the jury room. Higgins waived her right to privacy before disclosing her narrative to authorities in early 2021 and went public with her allegations in prominent media and television interviews. Also read | Data of all its nearly 4mn customers compromised by the hack, says Medibank Her accusations served as the impetus for what has been dubbed Australia's "MeToo moment," which sparked protests and discussions about women's safety across the country and exposed a toxic work environment in Australian politics. Higgins and Lehrmann shared an office with then-Defence Industry Minister Linda Reynolds, the court heard during the trial. They both had beverages on March 22, 2019, with coworkers and other people. After spending hours at two Canberra bars, Higgins claimed to be the most drunk she had ever been, the jury was informed. The two then shared a cab to Parliament House. As the jurors watched CCTV footage of her and Lehrmann entering the premises, she was sobbing inside the courtroom. In a police interview that was shown to the jury, Higgins said that she had slept off in Minister Reynolds' office before waking up to find Lehrmann having sex with her. She admitted to crying to the cops. She said, "I told him no; I told him to stop." Higgins could not have given consent to intercourse since she was "unconscious," according to the prosecution. The jury heard that she initially reported the alleged rape to authorities in the days that followed, but she later withheld filing a formal complaint out of fear of losing her work. Although Lehrmann declined to testify, he stated that what was alleged "just didn't happen" in a police interview that was played to the court. Parts of Higgins' testimony, according to his attorney Steven Whybrow, were "completely and absolutely inconsistent." Higgins arrived in court to see the case's demise but fled before the judge made her decision. When they were informed that they were being discharged, a few jury members were very angry. They informed the court on Tuesday that they had so far been unable to come to a unanimous decision, but the judge promptly ordered them back to continue discussing. "Everyone is disappointed at what happened but it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to say anything at this stage," Lehrmann's lawyer told media outside the court. The issue of whether Lehrmann should stand trial again has not yet been debated by the parties, but Justice McCallum scheduled a date in February just in case. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Australia Parliament rape trial jury discharged over 'misconduct'

Australia’s Old Parliament House caught fire on Thursday, damaging the entrance and the exterior of the building amid slogans of “let it burn” by the protesters.

It was not immediately clear as to who was responsible for the fire, but several local media reports indicated that the blaze took place when a small group of protesters assembled outside the building, calling for fair treatment of indigenous people.

A group named MMAMV Australia — for Millions March Against Mandatory Vaccinations — live-streamed the fire on Facebook, using the hashtag #takeoldparliament.

Other posts using the hashtag focused on colonial invasion and fighting a tyrannical empire.

The images that went viral on social media showed flames and smoke coming from wooden double-doors at the building's entrance

According to reports, the vast majority of the edifice remained untouched, and the blaze was said to have been quickly extinguished.

There was no immediate news about the extent of the damage.

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More footage of people watching as a fire consumes the front entrance to Old Parliament House in Canberra. Police and other agencies will have lots of footage to work with as they investigate. <a href="https://t.co/xwbhlpB5zM">pic.twitter.com/xwbhlpB5zM</a>
— Siobhan Heanue (@siobhanheanue) <a href="https://twitter.com/siobhanheanue/status/1476372405631082497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The building was the seat of Australia’s federal Parliament between 1927 and 1988. It houses the Museum of Australian Democracy and is a popular tourist attraction in Canberra.

“Old Parliament House was evacuated earlier today after protestors started a fire at the front doors of the building - this was quickly extinguished by ACT fire &amp; rescue,"&nbsp; ACT police said in a statement.

“There has been ongoing protest activity at the front of Old Parliament House throughout the past fortnight,” it added.

The museum said in a statement that it is "closed until further notice while we address fire damage caused by protesters today."

Government member of parliament David Littleproud denounced the damage.

"No matter your race, your religion, your belief in this country, no one has the right to damage property demonstrating, particularly a symbol of our democracy which hundreds of thousands of Australians died defending," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Australia’s Old Parliament House caught fire on Thursday, damaging the entrance and the exterior of the building amid slogans of “let it burn” by the protesters.

Australia’s Old Parliament House caught fire on Thursday, damaging the entrance and the exterior of the building amid slogans of “let it burn” by the protesters. It was not immediately clear as to who was responsible for the fire, but several local media reports indicated that the blaze took place when a small group of protesters assembled outside the building, calling for fair treatment of indigenous people. A group named MMAMV Australia — for Millions March Against Mandatory Vaccinations — live-streamed the fire on Facebook, using the hashtag #takeoldparliament. Other posts using the hashtag focused on colonial invasion and fighting a tyrannical empire. The images that went viral on social media showed flames and smoke coming from wooden double-doors at the building's entrance According to reports, the vast majority of the edifice remained untouched, and the blaze was said to have been quickly extinguished. There was no immediate news about the extent of the damage. More footage of people watching as a fire consumes the front entrance to Old Parliament House in Canberra. Police and other agencies will have lots of footage to work with as they investigate. pic.twitter.com/xwbhlpB5zM — Siobhan Heanue (@siobhanheanue) December 30, 2021 × The building was the seat of Australia’s federal Parliament between 1927 and 1988. It houses the Museum of Australian Democracy and is a popular tourist attraction in Canberra. “Old Parliament House was evacuated earlier today after protestors started a fire at the front doors of the building - this was quickly extinguished by ACT fire & rescue," ACT police said in a statement. “There has been ongoing protest activity at the front of Old Parliament House throughout the past fortnight,” it added. The museum said in a statement that it is "closed until further notice while we address fire damage caused by protesters today." Government member of parliament David Littleproud denounced the damage. "No matter your race, your religion, your belief in this country, no one has the right to damage property demonstrating, particularly a symbol of our democracy which hundreds of thousands of Australians died defending," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch | Old Parliament House set ablaze amid protest in Australia’s Canberra

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