The Federal Court has ordered Bruce Lehrmann to pay Network Ten's costs in defending his failed defamation case over the interview with Brittany Higgins on The Project.

Justice Michael Lee has ordered the costs be paid "on an indemnity basis" for most of the case, except for the cost of Ten's failed qualified privilege defence.

An order for indemnity costs involves an extra payment on top of the reasonable costs of running a case.

The court has not heard what the total costs come to, and Justice Lee has ordered that issue be handed to a referee to assess.

Last month, the court found Mr Lehrmann did, on the balance of probabilities, rape Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in 2019, though there remain no criminal findings against him after his aborted trial in the ACT Supreme Court.

Mr Lehrmann maintains his innocence.