Food fight not over yet. Three restaurateurs, who failed in their defamation claim against The Sydney Morning Herald over a scathing review, still have a claim for injurious falsehood on foot. Actions in negligence and breach of contract thrown out ... more
Year: 2005
Gregory Hodge v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd & Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd
The second leg of former Olympic swimming coach Greg Hodge’s defamation action against Channel Nine opened yesterday with Stuart Littlemore, for the plaintiff, decrying “the worst excesses of tabloid journalism”. ... more
Arthur Dent v Macquarie Radio Network Pty Ltd
The trial of Arthur Dent’s defamation action against 2GB proceeded under the wry eye of Justice Virginia Bell. The court heard some extraordinary testimony from the former skydiver ... more
Mark McGaw v Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd
The second week of football legend Mark McGaw’s trial has heard graphic evidence from Louise Boucheron, who said she had been his girlfriend and that “Sparkles” viciously assaulted her on several occasions ... more
Gregory Hodge v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd & Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd
The third week of Greg Hodge’s defamation trial has been characterised by “great antipathy” towards Channel Nine’s key truth witness. Acting Justice Smart considered aborting the hearing after “nasty” cross-examination by Stuart Littlemore ... more
Bennette v Cohen
Byron Bay property developer Jerry Bennette loses his appeal against a s.7A jury finding. The verdict was not outside the range of the rational. “Mere vulgar abuse” also given a well deserved airing ... more
Gregory Hodge v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd & Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd
The second week of former Olympic swimming coach Greg Hodge’s defamation action against Channel Nine saw aggressive cross-examination from both sides as well as torrid exchanges between counsel ... more
Maurice Kriss v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd
The second leg of bankrupt barrister Maurice Kriss’ action against Fairfax opened with Justice Michael Adams calling The Sydney Morning Herald’s campaign against bankrupt barristers “unjustified”. Blackburn calls for a disqualification ... more
Leonard Ainsworth v Leslie Burden
Supreme Court jury finds for the defendant in pokie king Len Ainsworth’s 10-year defamation battle against a former NSW police commander. The defamatory letter was unlikely to cause the plaintiff harm ... more
Ainsworth v Burden
First week of pokie entrepreneur Len Ainsworth’s all-issues jury trial revealed a web of connections between NSW police, politicians and lawyers. Plenty of bar table biffo from old adversaries Evatt and Stitt ... more
Edward Obeid v Australian Broadcasting Corporation
NSW Labor MP Eddie Obeid wins another s.7A over the Oasis development allegations, this time against the ABC. McClintock on a roll as District Court jury finds all three imputations pleaded by the plaintiff conveyed and defamatory ... more
Favell v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd
Brisbane barrister has his day in the High Court and gets three imputations out of the 40 he originally pleaded sent for rehearing. Justice Kirby says judges should not hide behind the ordinary reasonable reader. The fiction should be dropped ... more