Truth    June 9, 2024

Prouten v Buxton

NSW District Court ... Woman who brandished stick at cyclists loses defamation action ... Labelled a "vigilante" in Facebook post ... Issues of identification, defamatory meaning and publication ... Defences of justification and honest opinion made out ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Truth    April 15, 2024

Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Limited (Trial Judgment)

Federal Court ... Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann loses defamation action against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson ... Justice Michael Lee finds Lehrmann raped Brittany Higgins in ministerial office ... Findings on credit ... Qualified privilege defences fail ... Reactions ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Truth    March 6, 2024

Lakaev v McConkey

Tasmanian Supreme Court ... Psychologist loses defamation action over claims she led a cult ... Found to be an "arrant liar" ... Self represented defendant establishes truth of imputations ... Imputations of assault, unlawful financial advantage, indoctrination found to be absolutely true ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Truth    August 4, 2021

Massoud v Radio 2GB Sydney Pty Ltd & Ors

District Court NSW ... Sports journalist unsuccessful in claim against five media organisations ... Reports that he threatened to "slit" a young intern's throat ... Plaintiff argued a different version of the threat ... No difference between "slitting" a throat and "ripping off" a head ... Threats of violence ... Truth defence ... Contextual truth also upheld ... Janek Drevikovsky reports ... more

 

Truth    November 25, 2020

Herron v HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Ltd (No. 3)

Federal Court ... Chelmsford doctors lose defamation action against ABC journalist and publisher ... Deep Sleep Therapy "dangerous experimental treatment" ... Doctors sought to "rewrite history" ... Believed themselves victims of injustice ... Justification defence maintained ... Statutory qualified privilege defence established ... Not obliged to seek doctors' side of the story ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Truth    March 18, 2020

JWR Productions v Duncan-Watt

Federal Court ... Producer of puppet theatricals unsuccessful with claims in defamation, copyright, consumer law and detinue ... Dispute over ownership of a puppet show that debuted on Broadway ... Claim that the applicant had "stolen" the show from collaborators ... That Golden Girl Show! ... Janek Drevikovsky reporting ... more

 

Truth    January 30, 2020

Eustice v Channel Seven Adelaide Pty Ltd & Ors

Supreme Court of South Australia ... Channel 7 sees off defamation claim by used car salesman ... Justification defence ... The plaintiff said to be "a crook, fraudster and a snake" ... Nissan Skyline misrepresented to customer ... Plaintiff harried by TV reporter turned politician ... "A small and uninteresting used car business" ... Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Truth    September 2, 2019

Antonio (Tony) Bellino v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd

It's all true ... Federal Court finds that the Courier-Mail established the substantial truth of imputations pleaded by Brisbane nightclub identity Tony Bellino ... A prominent brothel and casino owner and a criminal ... Bellino partially hoisted on his own petard and evidence from the Fitzgerald Inquiry ... Attempt to blame his brother ... Unreliable witness ... Bad reputation ... Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Qualified Privilege    July 23, 2019

Peter Yunghanns v Nicholas Colquhoun-Denvers

"Honourable and decent men" sue each other over emails concerning the administration of the Federation of International Polo ... Adverse findings made against plaintiff and defendant ... Scores of insulting emails ... Defences of qualified privilege and justification established ... Unfortunate litigation ... Findings should be "supplemented with a little common sense" ... Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Truth    May 22, 2019

Ashworth aka Otto v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd

Defamation claims against three media organisations ... Plaintiff found to be engaged to "fraudulent scams" targeting young women for group sex ... "Bikini concerts" and other events promoted in remote Queensland locations ... Job trials ... Bankrupt plaintiff ordered to pay media's costs ... Gabrielle Hunter reports ... more

 

Truth    September 3, 2018

Chau Chak Wing v The Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Fairfax Media

Truth defence struck out ... Particulars do not disclose a reasonable defence ... "Vague and imprecise concepts" ... No evidence presented to connect Chau with the Chinese Communist Party ... Hore-Lacey defence not available ... Truth not established by statements in parliament about US intelligence confirming alleged bribery ... Stephen Murray reports  ... more

 

Truth    August 13, 2018

Rush v Nationwide News

Daily Telegraph's particulars of truth in  Geoffrey Rush case ... Actress Eryn Jean Norvill says she was groped by Rush ... Director Neil Armfield allegedly suggested Rush's actions were becoming "creepy and unclear" ... Claims of sexually predatory behaviour ...  Nick Bonyhady reports ... more