Western Australia Supreme Court ... Fairfax Digital loses strike out application over Facebook comments ... Property developer and tourism operator Greg Poland suing over comments left on links to 2019 articles ... Justice Tottle says particulars not so untenable as to warrant dismissal ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Category: Interlocutory/Case-Management
McVicker v Australian Broadcasting Corporation
District Court of Queensland ... Judge dismisses ABC's claim for summary dismissal of proceedings on grounds of proportionality ... Doubts proportionality principle applies in Queensland ... Summary dismissal allowed for post July 1, 2021 publications ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Ben Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications; The Age Company; Federal Capital Press
Federal Court ... War crimes investigators gain restricted access to sensitive material from Roberts-Smith defamation trial ... Concerns about potential access to material protected by statutory immunity ... Roberts-Smith wins costs ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Bruce John Grassick v Radio 2GB Sydney Pty Ltd & Anor
Federal Court ... NSW Police superintendent sues 2GB and Ray Hadley over claims he inappropriately pursued criminal, disciplinary action against four junior officers ... Aggravated damages sought ... Superintendent Grassick claims Hadley is maliciously biased against NSW Police leadership over treatment of son ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Ben Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications; The Age Company; Federal Capital Press
Federal Court ... Interlocutory hearing challenging Ben Roberts-Smith's subpoenas to war crime investigators ... Seeking internal documents for managing handling of information within OSI ... Commonwealth concedes it will not seek access to some documents provided to defamation trial ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Blaylock-Rayner v Seven Network (Operations) Limited
Federal Court ... American paparazzo fails in strike out bid against Seven Network ... Suing over Sunrise interview with Thomas Markle ... Sought to strike out four contextual imputations and contextual particulars ... Contextuals include "dishonourable man", dishonest business dealings and con man ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Reynolds v Sharaz
Western Australian Supreme Court ... Former Defence Minister Linda Reynolds fights off bid for security for costs ... Reynolds suing David Shraraz, partner of former staffer, Brittany Higgins ... Suing over four social media posts ... Far from impecunious ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 44)
Federal Court ... Justice Anthony Besanko recuses himself from determining Commonwealth applications to amend national security regime and access to closed court documents in Roberts-Smith trial ... Roberts-Smith sought recusal on apprehended bias grounds ... Serious findings of fact and credit ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Ben Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications; The Age Company; Federal Capital Press
Federal Court ... Seven entities, Ben Roberts-Smith's legal team seeking leave to appeal subpoenas ... Subpoenas directed to third party costs orders sought by media respondents in defamation proceedings ... Seven, Roberts-Smith seek stay of timetabling order ... Justice Besanko suspends orders for two weeks ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Poland v Hedley (No 5)
Western Australian Supreme Court ... Developer Greg Poland suing WA Today and political figures for defamation and unlawful conspiracy ... Particulars of conspiracy claim largely struck out ... Proportionality of conspiracy claim put in issue ... Loss presently confined to filing fees ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Ben Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications; The Age Company; Federal Capital Press
Federal Court ... Ben Roberts-Smith, his lawyers and financial backers seek to limit subpoenas on costs issue ... Subpoenas returned from Seven Network, Kerry Stokes' private company and lawyers ... Argument on new subpoenas to be heard next week ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Bruce Lehrmann v Network Ten & Anor; Bruce Lehrmann v Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Federal Court ... Case management hearing told not all of CCTV footage from night former staffer Brittany Higgins says she was raped was preserved ... Subpoena to Parliament for CCTV ... Raw footage from Seven interview with Bruce Lehrmann still being reviewed ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more