After 19 years in jail fighting for his release, David Eastman will have to wait a few more months for his day in court to seek compensation from the ACT government for wrongful imprisonment.
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On Tuesday Mr Eastman's compensation hearing was set down for September 30 in the ACT Supreme Court.
Mr Eastman was found not guilty by a jury in November last year of the 1989 killing of former police commissioner Colin Winchester.
He spent 6860 days in prison after he was convicted of the murder in 1995. However, that conviction was quashed in 2014 after it was determined flawed evidence was wrongfully included in the original trial.
If his claim is successful, lawyers have speculated Mr Eastman could be in line for a payout as large as $20 million for the 19 years of his life that he lost to a prison cell.
The government could opt to settle out of court and give Mr Eastman an ex gratia payment, meaning they would avoid accepting liability, but it appears lawyers for the government are preparing to fight the case.
The civil case was launched in 2015 but was put on hold until the six-month criminal retrial was finalised last year.
Lawyers for Mr Eastman asked the court on Tuesday to set down the hearing for the earliest date possible to see the matter finalised.
The matter of mediation was also discussed, with lawyers for the government saying court ordered mediation would not be appropriate. Hence, the matter will proceed to trial.
The case is expected to be argued under the ACT's human rights legislation. Mr Eastman's lawyers have suggested his alleged unlawful detention caused him deprivation of liberty, lost income, mental harm, damage to his reputation and significant costs and time in fighting his legal battle.
The government has said it will argue Mr Eastman's detention had been lawful and the Human Rights Act did not give rise for any action to be taken.
