Bruce Lehrmann, a former political aide, is set to engage in mediation as he seeks to have the government cover his legal expenses following a raid on his residence.

This development comes after the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) conducted a search of his home in June 2024, as part of an inquiry into claims he mishandled confidential documents concerning French submarines.

Lehrmann is taking legal action against Commissioner Paul Brereton and federal Labor minister Don Farrell, arguing over the costs he incurred while defending what he terms as “frivolous, James Bond-like allegations.”

He asserts that he was consistently informed that he would be eligible for financial assistance for legal representation throughout the investigation, yet he has not received any such support.

Justice Brigitte Markovic highlighted that a year has passed without a decision from the NACC regarding the provision of funding.

She ordered mediation between Lehrmann and Mr Farrell to be held before December 1 in hopes of speeding up the process.

Lehrmann welcomed the move, which he believes could be successful in resolving his dispute with the minister.

“This is the second time I’ve proposed mediation with (Farrell).

On both occasions, I’ve been refused,” he said.

“If funding had been granted, we may not even be here, and if we can seek a resolution through mediation, then there’ll be no need to pursue action as against (Farrell).”

The call for mediation was opposed by the minister’s lawyer, who rejected his contention that there was an unreasonable delay in processing the request for funding.

Lehrmann reminded Justice Markovic that she didn’t need their consent to order mediation, prompting her to reply: “I’m well aware of my powers, Mr Lehrmann.”

The judge ordered that the mediation be resolved by December 1 and set the matter down for a one-day hearing in February.

Lehrmann agreed to the timetable, noting that if mediation was successful, he would be in “no rush necessarily” to ventilate his claims against Mr Brereton.

The former political staffer, who is “impecunious and in serious financial peril”, hopes to receive the requested funding so he can be represented by lawyers at the hearing.

The former political staffer is accused of gathering the confidential information in March 2019, only days after he was alleged to have raped his colleague, Brittany Higgins, in Parliament House.

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

But the Federal Court’s Justice Michael Lee found in 2024 that the allegations he raped Higgins were proven on the balance of probabilities and dismissed his defamation suit against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.

Lehrmann has appealed against the defamation loss, but a decision is yet to be handed down.