Tag Archives: newspaper

Politician not so pushy – Sophie Mirabella wins $175,000: Mirabella v Price & Benalla Newspapers Pty Ltd [2018] VCC 650

Sophie Mirabella was the Member of the House of Representatives for the seat of Indi in rural Victoria from 2001 to 2013. In 2015, the Liberal Party pre-selected her once again to run in the 2016 election. Her opponent was … Continue reading

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Tweed Shire Mayor gets revenge threefold – Milne v Ell [2017] NSWSC 555

Property developer, William Robert Ell sued Tweed Shire Councillor, Katie Milne in defamation in 2014. He sued over a letter to the editor which Ms Milne had written about a contentious building development conducted by Mr Ell. While Mr Ell … Continue reading

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Dank v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 295. Number of days in Stephen Dank’s defamation trial – 20. Judgment Awarded – Priceless

Since 2013, the Australian sporting landscape has been dominated, not by any particularly amazing footballer, cricketer or athlete. No, it has been dominated by Stephen Dank – “sports scientist”. He is the man responsible for bringing into the Australian conscience … Continue reading

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Hockey hoists Fairfax on its own placard: Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2015] FCA 652

On 5 May 2014, Fairfax, through the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and the Canberra Times, ran a series of articles about a Liberal Party fundraising entity called the North Sydney Forum. North Sydney is the seat held by Australia’s … Continue reading

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Cronulla’s legal advice on ASADA kept confidential: Cronulla-Sutherland District Rugby League Football Club Ltd v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 494

The biggest news in Australian sport this year has been the investigation by the Australian Crime Commission and the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) into the alleged use by athletes and members of sporting teams of peptides and similar so-called … Continue reading

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Journalist’s source can be served as a pseudonym: Ultrasonic Slimming Pty Ltd & Anor v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 547

Justice Nicholas was asked a question that has been troubling humankind since the dawn of time: If a tree falls in a forest and no-one hears it, does it make a sound? Or put in terms of the defamation list, … Continue reading

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No tort for breach of privacy in South Australian epic: Sands v South Australia [2013] SASC 44

In a trial that ran for 55 days late last year and concluding in February this year, the plaintiff, Derick John Sands, has lost his claim for defamation, as well as other claims including a breach of confidence and a … Continue reading

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Hong Kong newspaper keeps its damages: Oriental Daily Publisher Ltd & Kwan v Ming Pao Holdings Ltd & Ors, in the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Final Appeal No. 1 of 2012, 26 September 2012

As common as Hayley’s Comet, in Hong Kong, the defamation jury trial appears about once every 80 years. So although this particular decision was some months ago, I don’t think I will be around in 2093 for the next one, … Continue reading

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The Movie Star and The Virgin Astronaut win: Rocknroll v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2013] EWHC

Edward Rocknroll is the nephew of Richard Branson, and used to be the head of marketing, promotion and astronaut experience at Virgin Galactic. That job ended in 2010, but while The Sun claimed that Rocknroll was a public figure, Justice … Continue reading

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Tanzanian Tycoon’s Claim Falls Flat: Mengi v Hermitage [2012] EWHC 3445

In 2004, Sarah Hermitage, an English solicitor, and her husband, Stewart Middleton, an agronomist, bought a lease to the Silverdale Farm in Tanzania for $112,000. They wanted to live there peacefully and build up an agricultural business, exporting vegetables to … Continue reading

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