Bruce Lehrmann is an “inspiration”. Of course he is. At least his solicitor-advocate, Zali Burrows, is urging us to see him that way because he inspires those who have been “wrongly accused”.

That may confuse those who were thinking, up this point, that it was Bruce who was doing the accusing – accusing the people at Channel 10 and its former star presenter Lisa Wilkinson of getting it so wrong.

Then accusing the trial judge, Michael Lee, of getting it utterly wrong, requiring Bruce to courageously try to retrieve, again, what’s left of his well-munched hat.

In some special corners of the land and beyond, there could be people drawing inspiration from Bruce Lehrmann – people who are in Long Bay bravely maintaining their innocence or litigants whose cases have crashed and burned and can’t pay the costs.

Victims, all – just as Bruce is a victim. Even though he is a victim of his own folly that shouldn’t mean that he’s not an inspiration, in the same way as those who overcome terrible adversities or make marvellous life-enhancing scientific and artistic contributions.

Bruce Lehrmann’s mission has been to expand the boundaries of inspiration-hood. He’s holding a torch for all of us.

Certainly, Burrows’ pronouncement makes a nice change from her

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