Category Archives: Trial

One Small Step for Mr Trkulja, One Giant Leap for GoogleKind: Trkulja v Google Inc [2012] VSC

In February this year, Milorad Trkulja, a Melbourne Music Promoter sued Yahoo!. What had happened was that if a person searched his name on Yahoo!, the results contained links to an article that linked him to the Melbourne underworld. While … Continue reading

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Scottish comic wins serious jury verdict: Frankie Boyle v The Daily Mirror

In England, Frankie Boyle is a controversial Scottish comedian who swears a lot, grows fuzzy red beards and gets in trouble because he doesn’t know when he has crossed the line.  While he would have been happy to have been … Continue reading

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Mick Molloy still not funny: Cornes v The Ten Group Pty Ltd & Ors [2012] SASFC 99

With the 2012 AFL Grand Final only a few days away, and the writer’s team, Hawthorn, playing off for the title against the Sydney Swans, it is about time this blog found a way to weave the mighty Hawks into … Continue reading

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$150,000 Queensland pub verdict overturned: Putland v Nowak [2012] QCA 121

  Joseph Nowak and Paul Putland lived in the same residential block on the Gold Coast, with the same body corporate in Southport. Nowak had been having difficulties with the body corporate because he had carried out structural works in … Continue reading

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Mayor’s claim against nun to be tried again: Lloyd-Jones v Allen [2012] NSWCA 230

  Muriel and Gary Campbell are members of an Aboriginal family living in Bermagui, NSW.  In October 2006 racist graffiti directed towards Aboriginals was painted on a bridge in the area and around that time there was a fight on … Continue reading

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Builder wins 50: Prendergast v Roberts [2012] QSC 144

Trevor Prendergast, a builder in Queensland since 1975, sued Shane Roberts, a man who ran a building company and entered into a building contract with Prendergast in late 2008 and early 2009. The job was not finished in early 2009 … Continue reading

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Nine-day trial yields Five K verdict: Holt v TCN Channel Nine P/L [2012] NSWSC 770

Andrew Holt brought defamation proceedings against Channel 9 for an edition of A Current Affair that was broadcast on 28 July 2009. The broadcast related to how he treated his late wife, Karen Holt, who was then dying with cancer. … Continue reading

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Child care employer taught $150,000 lesson: Association of Quality Child Care Centres of NSW v Manefield [2012] NSWCA 123

  The Association of Quality Child Care Centres in NSW was an incorporated association with an executive committee of 10 members. Bruce Manefield was the Executive officer from 7 February 2006 until 16 May 2008 and is the plaintiff in … Continue reading

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Solicitors’ defamation law argument fails: David v Abdishou [2012] NSWCA 109

The appellants (who were the plaintiffs at the trial) were solicitors who acted for Karl Suleman. In 2000 and 2001, Suleman induced many members of the Assyrian community in Sydney to invest in his supermarket trolley business, which ultimately collapsed. … Continue reading

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Habib’s Run ends with a big win: Habib v Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd & Ors

On 14 August 2005 in Sydney, Mamdouh Habib, a man who had seen more pain and adversity than any person ought to have to ever bear, ran the City to Surf. He did pretty well, but unbeknownst to him, this … Continue reading

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