Lehrmann personally filed the legal action late Thursday, at 9.30pm, categorized as a “judicial review,” which seeks to evaluate the legality of a governmental decision by the court.

He has commenced actions against the National Anti-Corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton and the federal Special Minister of State Don Farrell.

The nature of the proceedings is unknown as of this afternoon, but Lehrmann has been contacted for comment. 

Farrell’s office hasn’t responded to requests for comments, and the National Anti-Corruption Commissioner stated it was not appropriate to comment as the proceedings are currently in court.

Lehrmann entered into the national consciousness after he was accused of raping his colleague Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019.

He has denied the claims, which remain untested in a criminal court after a 2022 trial in the ACT was abandoned because of juror misconduct. 

However, in 2024, the Federal Court determined that the accusations he raped Higgins were substantiated on the balance of probabilities, a civil standard of proof that is less stringent than the criminal standard.

Lehrmann’s appeal against his defamation loss to Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson was heard by a panel of judges in August. 

The justices reserved their decision to be delivered at a later date.

He claimed he was defamed by Wilkinson’s 2021 interview with Higgins on The Project in which Higgins alleged she was raped. 

Justice Michael Lee found the allegations were likely true in his headline-grabbing judgment in April 2024.

“Having escaped the lions’ den, Mr Lehrmann made the mistake of going back for his hat,” the judge quipped at the time.