Category: Dossier

Elusive Firepower boss Tim Johnston pursues his defamation action against Fairfax … WA Court of Appeal finds discovery of emails between a journalist and his source went too far … Former ALP branch president and friend of Milton Orkopoulos sues Fairfax over child sex articles … WA Supreme Court says magistrate was wrong to refuse media access to police videotapes … Former vice-chancellor of Macquarie University wins a round against The Sydney Morning Herald ... more

Littlemore on a roll … Independent publisher appeals malice finding by Justice Graham Barr … High Court declines special leave in two hard-fought NSW cases, but allows a challenge to the NSW Court of Appeal finding that it can’t hear appeals from a jury verdict in the District Court … Prominent Muslim appeals “manifestly inadequate” damages for being called a supporter of terrorism ... more

Jury rejects two-thirds of actress Judy Davis’ defamation action against The Daily Telegraph ... Special leave applications aplenty … Sexual harassment victim of Joe Scimone to try mediation, rather than defamation … Company run by former mate of Graham Richardson can’t sue the ABC … Roseanne Catt sues over seven year old 60 Minutes report … ADT appeal panel to rehear public interest defence of John Laws’ “pillow biter” abuse in Kressley case ... more

Parties opt for judge alone in first NSW defamation trial under the new Act … Justice Howie surprises in Fairfax contempt/costs judgment … NSW District Court judge Judith Gibson takes issue with the Court of Appeal … Archer Field’s trial adjourned until February 2009 … “Prince of Paparazzi” Jamie Fawcett runs out of time to appeal …Melbourne silk can’t find a judge he doesn’t know to hear his case … Business whizz Zia Qureshi gets a better result the second time around ... more

Defamation all the rage in academia as Professor Bruce Hall sues the ABC and Dr Norman Swan and Professor Di Yerbury sues Fairfax … SA Court of Appeal strikes out Today Tonight’s truth plea in “fiercely contested” suit brought by the ex-boyfriend of former Liberal MP Trish Draper … suburbia rife with allegations of paedophilia ... more

ABC apologises for “potential” contempt in Melbourne terror trial … Newly elevated NSW Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum concludes that lawyers are not a special class of people … Former ad man Geoffrey Cousins sues over claims he’s a devious hypocrite … Alan Bond granted leave to pursue the chronicler of his downfall, Paul Barry … “Shoddy” building company’s damages reduced by $90,000 … Former mayor of Drummoyne’s defamation action drags on ... more

One of the first damages awards under new uniform laws … Justice Howie lets his unabashed views be known about The Sydney Morning Herald and one of its top journalists … Settlements for brothel owner Eddie Hayson (pic) and an alleged “child molester” ... Defendants have their assets frozen in the nick of time … Sexual shenanigans defamation suit against Wollongong City Council ... more

Pseudonym order lifted in Pat O’Shane case … ASIO documents released in Mamdouh Habib defamation action against The Daily Telegraph ... Media access to court material relaxed in Britain bringing an end to “shot-poor” trial reports … Jury finds plaintiff still identifiable despite obscured newspaper photo … 2GB loses appeal over award of indemnity costs … SMEC and three directors awarded defamation damages of $1.65 million ... more

NSW Supreme Court flags that there should be two trials for cases brought under the uniform Defamation Act – one for meanings, another for defences … A Current Affair settles big blooper for $200,000 plus costs … Uncertainty as to identity of plaintiff in action against 7.30 Report ... The state of Sydney’s junior defamation bar following a boom time for silk promotions … Qualified privilege defence reheard in Byron Shire Echo case ... more

MacBank “Mine Shaft” defamation case against The Australian winds-up … ABC pleads guilty in Victoria to three charges of contempt … DPP not quite ready for contempt hearing against Liz Sexton and The Sydney Morning Herald ... Ex-MP Peter Breen sues over Shorty Jamieson “love” story ... more

Channel Seven settles with Sparkles McGaw … TPA case against Dennis O’Rourke dropped … Fairfax contempt hearing over Selim report … New media conference at UNSW ... more

David Salter on the Media We Deserve ... Geoffrey Robertson QC at the free speech dinner on how England has outpaced Australia on defamation law reform … Dilemma for imputation retrials: should the new jury obey the Court of Appeal or think for itself? ... more