Federal Court ... Mark Latham obtains consent orders over notices to produce issued to Alex Greenwich ahead of costs hearing ... Federal Court ... Senator Pauline Hanson fails in bid to pay half of Senator Mehreen Faruqi's costs in racial vilification action ... Supreme Court of Western Australia ... Animal rights activists fight off bid for indemnity costs ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Year: 2024
Khan v Uddin
Federal Court of Australia ... Former ALP candidate awarded $250,000 in damages over anonymous dirt sheet circulated to party figures and journalists ... Follows default judgment after respondent evaded service and did not participate in proceedings ... Damages subject of referee report ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Khan v Uddin
Former ALP candidate for Victorian Legislative Council sued over dirt sheet circulated to party figures and media … Default judgment after respondent failed to take part in proceedings … Email account to distribute publication tracked down to USA … more
The current state of suppression and NPOs
The current state of suppression and non-publication orders in Australia... The top five developments ... Standout contribution from the Wynnum Magistrates Court ... Overall trend sees a decrease in orders for 2024 ... Media in Victoria receiving advance notice of applications ... Solid open justice arguments found in the South Australian "sex-pest barrister" judgment ... Gina McWilliams reports ... more
Vale Tom Hughes AO KC: 1923 – 2024
Tom Hughes AO KC dies, aged 101 ... Distinguished career in law and politics ... A "lion" of the Sydney Bar ... Renowned for work in defamation ... Law texts still cover a range of his cases up to the Privy Council ... Renowned as an advocate ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reflects ... more
Mannoun v Ristevski
District Court of NSW … Liverpool mayor has action against former accountant over Facebook comment dismissed … Allegations mayor was a “crim”, a “grub” and inflated the value of a business before selling it to a charity … Failed to establish serious harm … Limited readership of “shenanigans” page confined to those with a duty to monitor it or already had a poor view of the mayor … Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
Pauline Hanson v Lidia Thorpe and Nine Network Australia
Legal letters from Senator Pauline Hanson’s lawyers to Senator Lidia Thorpe and the Nine Network … Followed Today interview in which Thorpe referred to Hanson as a “convicted racist” … Hanson sought withdrawal and apology … Nine Network posts clarification … Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports … more
Around the courts
Federal Court of Australia ... Senator Pauline Hanson lodges appeal over ruling that she breached s.18C of the Racial Discrimination Act in tweet directed at Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi ... District Court of Queensland ... Fairfax Digital obtains jury verdict in action brought by property developer ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
McIntosh v Peterson (No 2)
Supreme Court of Western Australia ... Animal rights activists ordered to pay $280,000 to veterinarian, her husband and clinic for defamation and trespass ... Facebook video recorded confrontation over caged cockatiels ... Imputations of animal abuse, hypocrisy and animal enslavement conveyed ... Defences of honest opinion, qualified privilege and justification fail ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
McIntosh v Peterson (No 2)
Animal rights activists found to have defamed veterinarian, her husband and clinic in Facebook post with video … Followed confrontation over caged cockatiels …. Imputations of animal abuse, enslavement and hypocrisy … Aggravated damages … more
Amanda Ghost & Ors v Rebel Wilson
Superior Court of California ... Anti-SLAPP motion by Rebel Wilson dismissed ... Wilson is being sued by the producers of her directorial debut over claims of sexual harassment, embezzlement and tax fraud ... Court rules publications not protected ... Made in course of private business dispute and not in the public interest ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more
Review of resolved matters 2020-2024
Data Journalism … Fall in number of resolved matters reported by GLJ between 2020 and 2024 … Preferred forums for mounting defamation actions … Have the 2021 reforms winnowed out the backyard disputes? … What types of publications have been sued on? … Data on appeals … Courts Editor Stephen Murray crunches the numbers … more