Attorney-General Christian Porter has launched defamation action against the ABC and journalist Louise Milligan.
Mr Porter is suing the public broadcaster for publishing "false accusations" against him in an online story that said an unnamed cabinet minister - later revealed to be Mr Porter - was the subject of an historical rape allegation.
The legal action is also aimed at a report aired in November that alleged he was a misogynist and sexist.
His lawyers have accused the ABC of running a trial by media and Milligan of acting with malice, damaging Mr Porter's reputation.
"If the ABC and Ms Milligan wish to argue the truth of the allegations, they can do so in these proceedings," lawyer Rebekah Giles said in a statement on Monday.
"Under the Defamation Act it is open for the ABC and Ms Milligan to plead truth in their defence to this action and prove the allegations to the lower civil standard."
Ms Giles and colleague Sue Chrysanthou together represented Brittany Higgins in her settlement against Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.
They argue the attorney-general has been subjected to several weeks of trial by media without regard to the presumption of innocence, rules of evidence or proper disclosure of the material said to support to allegations.
"The trial by media should now end with the commencement of these proceedings," Ms Giles said.
"The claims made by the ABC and Ms Milligan will be determined in a court in a procedurally fair process. Mr Porter will have and will exercise the opportunity to give evidence denying these false allegations on oath."
The defamation action comes days after a former boyfriend of the woman who accused Mr Porter of rape offered to give evidence about his conversations with both parties about the allegations.
More than 80,000 people have signed a petition calling for Mr Porter to be suspended as attorney-general over the rape allegations he has denied.