It’s the case that wrecks the lives of everyone it touches and spawns a seemingly never-ending cascade of legal action.

Such is the reputational damage and emotional devastation that has ensued since Brittany Higgins alleged that Bruce Lerhmann, her former Liberal staffer colleague raped her in Parliament house. Lehrmann has always strenuously denied the accusation.

Today, senior writer Jacqueline Maley, on how an inquiry into this trial, which was hoped would spearhead an overhaul of parliamentary culture, has gone so terribly wrong.