National Auto Glass Supplies (Australia) Pty Limited v Nielsen & Moller Autoglass (NSW) Pty Limited (No 8) [2007] FCA 1625

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

National Auto Glass Supplies (Australia) Pty Limited v Nielsen & Moller Autoglass (NSW) Pty Limited (No 8) [2007] FCA 1625

DEFAMATION – publication of a facsimile in all States of Australia and the Australian Capital Territory by a company conveying defamatory innuendos about persons associated with a competitor business – publication of a 'whistleblower' letter to the Australian Taxation Office – publication of an email to two officers of the principal supplier of the competitor business located in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong and in another location within the People's Republic of China – availability of presumption as to the law, if any, in respect of defamation in the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong and elsewhere in the People's Republic of China – availability of defences – compensatory, aggravated and exemplary damages

TRADE PRACTICES – claims for defamation run in parallel with claims for representations said to constitute misleading and deceptive conduct

Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) ss 52, 53(d) and (e), 55A, 60, 75B(1)(c), 80 and 82 Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) ss 42, 44(f) and (g), 50, 55, 61(c), 65 and 68 Defamation Act 1974 (NSW) ss 8A, 15(2), 16, 22(1)(c), 46, 46A and 48A Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld) Defamation Act 1889 (Qld) Criminal Code Act 1913 (WA) Wrongs Act 1936 (SA) Defamation Act 1957 (Tas) Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) ss 203B, 206A(2) and 206B Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) ss 5 and 29D Federal Court Rules Order 11 rule 1B Motor Accidents Act 1988 (NSW) s 79A Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 16 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 51A

Lee v Wilson and Mackinnon (1934) 51 CLR 276 referred to Webb v Bloch (1928) 41 CLR 331 referred to Sim v Stretch (1936) 52 TLR 669 applied National Auto Glass Supplies (Australia) Pty Ltd v Nielsen & Moller Autoglass (NSW) Pty Ltd (2006) 156 FCR 148 referred to Regie Nationale des Usines Renault SA v Zhang (2002) 210 CLR 491 referred to Tisand (Pty) Ltd v Owners of the ship MV "Cape Moreton" (Ex "Freya") (2005) 219 ALR 48 referred to Neilson v Overseas Projects Corporation of Victoria Ltd (2005) 223 CLR 331 referred to Damberg v Damberg (2001) 52 NSWLR 492 referred to Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 referred to National Auto Glass Supplies (Australia) Pty Limited v Nielsen & Moller Autoglass (NSW) Pty Limited (No 5) [2007] FCA 569 referred to National Auto Glass Supplies (Australia) Pty Limited v Nielsen & Moller Autoglass (NSW) Pty Limited (No 7) [2007] FCA 582 referred to Taco Company of Australia Inc v Taco Bell Pty Ltd (1982) 42 ALR 177 referred to Campomar Sociedad, Limitada v Nike International Limited (2000) 202 CLR 45 referred to Astrazeneca Pty Limited v GlaxoSmithKline Australia Pty Limited (2006) ATPR 42-106 referred to Butcher v Lachlan Elder Realty Pty Limited (2004) 218 CLR 592 referred to Boral Besser Masonry Limited v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2003) 215 CLR 374 referred to Roberts v Bass (2002) 212 CLR 1 applied Adam v Ward [1917] AC 309 at 334 referred to Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520 referred to Belt v Lawes (1882) 51 LJQB 359 referred to Bryanston Finance Ltd v de Vries [1975] 1 QB 703 referred to Bellino v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1996) 185 CLR 183 referred to Polly Peck (Holdings) Plc v Trelford (1986) 1 QB 1000 referred to Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Limited (1993) 178 CLR 44 referred to Rogers v Nationwide News Pty Limited (2003) 216 CLR 327 applied Random House Australia Pty Ltd v Abbott (1999) 167 ALR 224 referred to Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd v Marsden [2002] NSWCA 419 referred to Wishart v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1963) 63 SR (NSW) 745 referred to Gray v Motor Accident Commission (1998) 196 CLR 1 referred to John Fairfax & Sons Ltd v Kelly (1987) 8 NSWLR 131 applied