Greenwich v Latham [2024] FCA 1050

Federal Court of Australia

Greenwich v Latham [2024] FCA 1050 File number(s): NSD 475 of 2023

Judgment of: O'CALLAGHAN J

Date of judgment: 11 September 2024

Catchwords: DEFAMATION – proceeding against a member of New South Wales Parliament brought by another member – imputations pleaded in respect of two impugned publications – consideration of whether imputations conveyed – first imputation made in "primary tweet" held to be conveyed – whether imputation defamatory – consideration of whether publication of defamatory matter about the applicant has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm to his reputation within the meaning of s 10A(1) of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) – serious harm found – defences of honest opinion pursuant to s 31 of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) and common law qualified privilege (reply to attack) – where defences not made out – where applicant sought general damages for non-economic loss – where applicant sought aggravated damages – assessment of damages – where alleged unjustifiable conduct said to support award of aggravated damages – quantification of damages

Legislation: Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) ss 10A, 10A(1), 31, 31(1) Defamation Act 2013 (UK) s 1

Cases cited: Amersi v Leslie [2023] EWHC 1368 (KB) Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Chau Chak Wing (2019) 271 FCR 632 Banks v Cadwalladr [2023] 3 WLR 167 Barilaro v Google LLC [2022] FCA 650 Barron v Vines [2016] EWHC 1226 (QB) Bashford v Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 366 Bazzi v Dutton (2022) 289 FCR 1 Berkoff v Burchill [1996] 4 All ER 1008 Burton v Crowell Pub Co 82 F (2d) 154 (1936) Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44 Chappell v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 153 Economou v De Freitas [2017] EMLR 4; [2016] EWHC 1853 (QB) Ettingshausen v Australian Consolidated Press Ltd (1991) NSWLR 443 Gould v Jordan (No 2) [2021] FCA 1289 Hanson v Burston [2023] FCAFC 124 Harbour Radio Pty Ltd v Trad (2012) 247 CLR 31 KSMC Holdings Pty Ltd t/a Hubba Bubba Childcare on Haig v Bowden (2020) 101 NSWLR 729 Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd [2020] AC 612 Lee v Wilson (1934) 51 CLR 276 Loveday v Sun Newspapers Ltd (1938) 59 CLR 503 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v World Hosts Pty Ltd (1979) 141 CLR 632 Monroe v Hopkins [2017] 4 WLR 68; [2017] EWHC 433 (QB) Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Rush [2020] FCAFC 115; (2020) 380 ALR 432 Newman v Whittington [2022] NSWSC 249 Parmiter v Coupland (1840) 151 ER 340 Penton v Calwell (1945) 70 CLR 219 Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Chesterton (2009) 238 CLR 460 Riley v Sivier [2023] EMLR 6; [2022] EWHC 2891 (KB) Selkirk v Hocking (No 2) [2023] FCA 1085 Selkirk v Wyatt (2024) 302 FCR 541 Sivananthan v Vasikaran [2023] EMLR 7; [2022] EWHC 2938 (KB) Stead v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2021] FCA 15; (2021) 387 ALR 123 Stocker v Stocker [2020] AC 593 Sutcliffe v Pressdram Ltd [1991] 1 QB 153 Triggell v Pheeney (1951) 82 CLR 497 Trkulja v Google LLC (2018) 263 CLR 149 Wilson v Mendelsohn [2024] EWHC 821 (KB) Zbyszko v New York American Inc (1930) 228 App Div 277 Neuberger J, Antisemitism: what it is. what it isn't. why it matters (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2019)