Former parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper's challenge to dishonesty charges will not be heard until February, further pushing back any hearing on allegations he misused Cabcharge vouchers.
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Slipper was due to face a hearing earlier this month on three charges that he dishonestly used the taxi vouchers to take a taxpayer-funded tour of local Canberra wineries.
But the hearing against the former long-time Queensland Liberal MP was put on hold, after his lawyer argued that a proper fight to the charges would violate parliamentary privilege.
That sparked a battle in the ACT Magistrates Court, with his lawyer arguing the charges should be permanently stayed, which would end the Commonwealth prosecution's case altogether.
But they lost that argument before Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker.
Slipper instead took the fight to the ACT's higher court, the ACT Supreme Court.
His case came before the Supreme Court for the first time on Friday.
Justice John Burns set the hearing for Slipper's challenge against the Magistrates Court's decision for February 19.
That means any possible hearing on the Cabcharge misuse charges in the ACT Magistrates Court will not take place until at least after that date.
