Two former cabinet ministers are expected to give evidence over the next two days as the trial of the man accused of raping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins enters its final days.
Bruce Lehrmann is accused of raping Ms Higgins in Linda Reynolds’ ministerial office at Parliament House after a night out drinking with work colleagues.
He has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without her consent and being reckless to her consent.
Coalition senators Ms Reynolds and Michaelia Cash, whom Ms Higgins worked for, will take the witness stand over the next two days.
The trial was originally expected to run between four and six weeks.
But last week ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold told the court he expected to close the Crown’s case on Tuesday.
It comes as the list of witnesses was slashed from over 50 to 32.
On Friday, Mr Lehrmann’s lawyer Steven Whybrow pressed Ms Higgins about inconsistencies in her account of the night in question during an emotionally charged cross-examination.
Singling out her alleged rapist for the first time in court, Ms Higgins addressed him with a pointed finger and told him “nothing was fine after what you did to me”.
Earlier that week, the jury heard Mr Lehrmann’s account for the first time, as they were played his police interview.
In it, he told police the incident “simply didn’t happen”.
More to come