Category: Costs

District Court of NSW ... Former councillor suing council and council officer discontinues proceeding ... Application by defendants for indemnity costs rejected ... Health considerations do not trump s.40 of Defamation Act ... Offers to settle were not rejected unreasonably ... Action not an abuse of process ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

County Court of Victoria ... Advocate for guardianship clients awarded costs on successfully defending claim ... Late amendment to defence to plead limitation exclusion ... Costs on a standard basis with 25 percent discount ... Sought indemnity costs for own action resulting in award of $100,000 ... Costs on standard basis ordered ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Federal Court of Australia ... High profile surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis ordered to pay costs of lost defamation action against Nine Network on partial indemnity basis ... Knowledge of truth of publications and conduct of trial factors in orders ... Costs to be paid on lump sum basis ... Al Muderis wins stay on costs pending appeal ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Western Australian Supreme Court ... Perth mayor awarded partial indemnity costs after award of $250,000 in aggravated damages ... Four offers of settlement by mayor were not unreasonably rejected ... Failure by defendant to make own reasonable offer ... Rejection of special costs order ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Federal Court of Australia ... Former Queensland judge Walter Sofronoff KC fails in bid to pay a third of costs in his unsuccessful effort to overturn corrupt conduct findings ... Submitted he was successful on parliamentary privilege question ... Court rules Integrity Commission took no position on issue ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Costs Court of Supreme Court of Victoria ... Unsuccessful claimant not liable to pay costs claimed in respect of American firm ... Dispute centred over leadership of international polo ... Former president not liable for firm's costs as client was polo peak body ... Firm not able to recover fees for legal services in Victoria with very limited exceptions ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Federal Court of Australia ... Submissions on indemnity costs and stay on costs in unsuccessful action brought by surgeon Munjed Al Muderis ... Court hears Nine Network incurred $10.9 million in defending action ... Submission that costs on party/party basis would leave Nine substantially out of pocket ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Supreme Court of Western Australian ... Former staffer Brittany Higgins ordered to pay eighty percent of Linda Reynolds' costs on indemnity basis ... Followed award of damages for two social media posts ... Offer of settlement four days ahead of trial found to have been unreasonable ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

Supreme Court of Western Australia ... Perth lawyer defamed by her former clients fails in bid to obtain indemnity costs ... Reasonable offer to settle with contribution to costs of self-represented lawyer ... Costs awarded against defendants on party/party basis ... Costs to be apportioned ... Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more