Edwards v Nine Network Australia Pty Limited (No 6) [2024] FCA 758

Federal Court of Australia

Edwards v Nine Network Australia Pty Limited (No 6) [2024] FCA 758 File number(s): NSD 129 of 2022

Judgment of: WIGNEY J

Date of judgment: 20 June 2024

Catchwords: COSTS – Application for indemnity costs by successful applicant in defamation proceeding – where applicant made valid offer of compromise – where terms of the judgment were more favourable than the offer – whether rejection of applicant's offer unreasonable – whether Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) s 40 'picked up' in federal jurisdiction – whether indemnity costs should be determined on an issue-by-issue basis – whether adverse credibility findings are relevant to apportionment of costs – indemnity costs awarded

Legislation: Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 37M, 37N, 43 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 79 Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) rr 1.35, 25.01, 25.14, 40.01, 40.02, Sch 1 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) ss 3, 25, 40

Cases cited: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (No 4) [2018] FCA 684 Bellino v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd (No 2) [2019] FCA 1691 Black v Lipovac [1998] FCA 699 Bostik Australia Pty Ltd v Liddiard (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 304 Calderbank v Calderbank [1976] Fam 93 Chevron Australia Holdings Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (No 5) [2015] FCA 1310 Cirillo v Consolidated Press Property Ltd (formerly known as Citicorp Australia Ltd) (No 2) [2007] FCA 179 Cretazzo v Lombardi (1975) 13 SASR 4 Dukemaster Pty Ltd v Bluehive Pty Ltd [2003] FCAFC 1 Edwards v Nine Network Australia Pty Limited (No 5) [2024] FCA 422 Edwards v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd (No 2) [2022] FCA 1332 Firebird Global Master Fund II Ltd v Republic of Nauru (No 2) [2015] HCA 53; (2015) 90 ALJR 270 Hamod v New South Wales (2002) 188 ALR 659; [2002] FCAFC 97 Hanson-Young v Leyonhjelm (No 5) [2020] FCA 34 Hardingham v RP Data Pty Ltd (No 2) [2021] FCAFC 175 Hayson v Age Company Pty Ltd (No 3) (2020) 280 FCR 139; [2020] FCA 1163 Hazeldene's Chicken Farm Pty Ltd v Victorian WorkCover Authority (No 2) (2005) 13 VR 435; [2005] VSCA 298 Hill v Forteng Pty Ltd [2019] FCAFC 105 Hyndes v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 349 JMC Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (Costs) [2023] FCAFC 95 JWR Productions Australia Pty Ltd v Duncan-Watt (No 3) [2020] FCA 528 Kazal v Independent Commission Against Corruption and Ors (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 17 King v Yurisich (No 2) [2007] Latoudis v Casey (1990) 170 CLR 534 Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Ltd (Costs) [2024] FCA 486 LFDB v SM (No 2) [2017] FCAFC 207 Mango Boulevard Pty Ltd v Whitton [2015] FCA 1352 Marmax Investments Pty Ltd v RPR Maintenance Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] FCAFC 155 Melbourne City Investments Pty Ltd v Treasury Wine Estates Limited (No 2) [2017] FCAFC 116 Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd v Porter (No 3) [2022] FCA 998 Murphy v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 2) [2021] FCA 432 Palmer v McGowan (No 6) [2022] FCA 927 PKT Technologies Pty Ltd v Peter Vogel Instruments Pty Ltd (No 2) [2020] FCAFC 46 Russell v ABC (No 4) [2023] FCA 1279 Seven Network Ltd v News Ltd (2009) 182 FCR 160; [2009] FCAFC 166 Siemens WLL v BIC Contracting LLC (costs) [2024] FCA 201 Stead v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2) (2021) 386 ALR 237; [2021] FCA 65 The State of Victoria v Sportsbet Pty Ltd (No 2) [2012] FCAFC 174