Al Muderis v Nine Network Australia Pty Limited [2023] FCA 1623

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Al Muderis v Nine Network Australia Pty Limited [2023] FCA 1623 File number: NSD 917 of 2022

Judgment of: BROMWICH J

Date of judgment: 19 December 2023

Catchwords: EVIDENCE – where the applicant seeks to know the identity of 13 sources of information given to a journalist - where the respondents have refused to disclose their identities and claim statutory journalist privilege - where the applicant challenges the existence of the privilege and seeks to override the privilege under s 126K of the Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) – held: privilege established for all 13 sources; public interest in disclosing the 13 sources' identities not demonstrated by the applicant to outweigh the public interest in not disclosing their identities; application dismissed; applicant to pay respondents' costs.

Legislation: Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) ss 126K(1), 126K(2), 126K(2)(a), 126K(2)(b), 138 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Part VB Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) ss 25, 29A, 31

Cases cited: Ashby v Commonwealth of Australia (No. 2) [2012] FCA 766; 203 FCR 440 Attorney-General for New South Wales v Stuart (1994) 34 NSWLR 667 Attorney-General v Mullholland; Attorney-General v Foster [1963] 2 QB 477 British Steel Corporation v Granada Television Ltd [1981] AC 1096 Bunning v Cross [1978] HCA 22; 141 CLR 54, applying R v Ireland [1970] HCA 21; 126 CLR 321 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; 214 CLR 118 John Fairfax & Sons Ltd v Cojuangco [1988] HCA 54; 165 CLR 346 Kumova v Davison [2021] FCA 753 Madafferi v The Age Company Ltd [2015] VSC 687; 50 VR 492 McGuiness v Attorney General of Victoria [1940] HCA 6; 63 CLR 73