A week after retiring to consider a verdict, the jurors tasked with determining whether a former Liberal Party staffer raped ex-colleague Brittany Higgins at Parliament House remain locked in deliberations.
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"No one could suggest that you're not working extremely hard," Chief Justice Lucy McCallum told the eight women and four men of the jury in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon.
"Thank you for your ongoing hard work."
The judge made those comments to jurors a little more than 24 hours after directing them to continue striving to reach a unanimous verdict, following their indication they were deadlocked.
Bruce Lehrmann, 27, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of engaging in sexual intercourse without consent.
He denies any sexual activity with Ms Higgins, who has accused him of raping her on a couch in the ministerial office of Senator Linda Reynolds, for whom the pair worked at the time, in March 2019.
The pair arrived at Parliament House about 1.40am on the morning in question, following what prosecutor Shane Drumgold SC has described as "a drunken night out".
Lehrmann's trial began on October 4, with the jury retiring to deliberate about 3pm last Wednesday after hearing a little more than two weeks' worth of evidence and arguments.
The jury is set to continue deliberating on Thursday.
MORE COVERAGE OF THE TRIAL:
- Deadlocked parliament rape trial jury directed to keep deliberating
- 'No pressure': Judge tells parliament rape trial jury to 'relax'
- 'Extremely important' warnings given to jury as alleged parliament rapist waits for verdict
- Judge reminds jury she's 'here to help' as parliament rape trial deliberations continue
- Parliament rape trial jury retires to deliberate on '$325k question'
- 'Prepared to say anything': Defence claims Higgins 'doesn't know what happened'
- Higgins 'right to be scared' of 'strong political forces': prosecutor
- Senator accused of trying to 'coach' defence barrister's cross-examination of Higgins
- 'Political suicide': Senator denies pretending not to know about alleged rape
- 'Nothing was fine after what you did': Higgins confronts alleged rapist, denies being 'monster'
- Lehrmann 'in a hurry to get out' after alleged rape: parliament security
- 'My world has been rocked': Lehrmann tells police of 'Bruce the rapist' impersonator
- 'Broken, shattered person': Light in Higgins 'turned off' after alleged rape
- 'Bruce got quite handsy': What Higgins told parliament police after alleged rape
- Higgins 'unavailable' to continue cross-examination in rape trial, jury told
- Higgins had planned book before being 'blown away' by $325k offer, court hears
- 'So incorrect': Higgins hits back at 'deeply insulting' cross-examination
- 'I wanted her out': Higgins denies attempt to hide evidence, admits 'scrubbing' phone
- Higgins secretly recorded 'weirdest phone call' with Cash after quitting
- 'It may sound ridiculous': Higgins admits 'mistake' about 'weird anchor' dress
- Meeting with minister at site of alleged rape felt like 'scare tactic': Higgins
- 'Like this weird anchor': Higgins kept dress under bed while weighing up action
- Higgins 'rebuffed kiss' from accused rapist before allegedly being 'trapped'
- Public 'sold a pup' with 'unstoppable snowball' story of alleged Higgins rape
