Category: Contempt

Supreme Court of NSW ... Wildlife carer fined $10,000 over three contempts of court ... Breach of consent orders preventing repetition of pleaded imputations pending hearing of matter ... Need for general and specific deterrence ... At lower end of range for conduct amounting to contempt ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Supreme Court of NSW ... Wildlife carer declared to be in contempt of consent orders ... Orders prevented repetition of pleaded defamatory imputations until conclusion of hearing ... Contemnor believed restraint did not go beyond Court hearings ... Determination of meaning of "pending" and "hearing" ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Federal Court of Australia ... Publishers of SMH and The Age as well as editors, lawyers and journalists avoid referral for contempt proceedings ... Arguable case for contempt by publishers, editor and journalists ... Reasonably arguable basis for defending contempt proceedings ... Open to intervening parties to mount own prosecution ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Federal Court of Australia ... Continuing argument in application to refer Nine newspapers, editors, lawyers and journalists to Registrar for contempt ... Tom Blackburn SC, senior counsel for Nine, argues construction of orders means they only applied to applicants ... Their identities were not known to the Nine entities ... Sue Chrysanthou SC submits this is a "lawyers' reconstruction" ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Federal Court of Australia ... Interlocutory application to have alleged contempts referred to Federal Court Registrar ... Follows orders suppressing identities of complainants to the ABC concerning Antoinette Lattouf ... Applicants contend respondents should be held to account ... Respondents challenge interpretation and breadth of orders ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Supreme Court of Western Australia ... Two former clients of Perth commercial lawyer who defamed her in an email sent to government and legal figures found to be in contempt ... Breached injunctions preventing repetition of defamatory imputations ... Statement of claim provided to pseudo-law common law jury ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Federal Court ... Nine Network withdraws bid to restrain American economist Peter Schiff from using documentary evidence in settled proceedings ... Restraint sought to enforce implied undertaking and prevent contempt ... Justice Ian Jackman indicates it might be necessary to address claims of dishonest conduct by Nine ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Health care provider Ramsay Health Care avoids contempt finding over use of emails subpoenaed in defamation action ... Implied undertaking ... Actual knowledge ... Former Senior Corporate Counsel "drowning in work" ... Apology accepted ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Victorian Supreme Court ... Surgeons settle out of court ... Penalties for contempt ... Costs for private prosecution sought on indemnity basis ... "Extraordinarily high claim" ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more