Roberts v The Manning Community News Pty Ltd & Anor [2020] NSWDC 301

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Roberts v The Manning Community News Pty Ltd & Anor [2020] NSWDC 301 Hearing dates: 9 April 2020; 23 April 2020 (written submissions) Date of orders: 11 June 2020 Decision date: 11 June 2020 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Defendants' application for summary dismissal of these proceedings dismissed with costs, with liberty to apply. (2) Matter stood over to the Defamation List on Thursday 18 June 2020 for the parties to hand up a timetable for the future conduct of these proceedings. Catchwords: TORT – defamation – application for dismissal of proceedings as an abuse of process on the basis that leave to proceed under s 23 of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) was not sought – alternative application that such leave, if sought, should be refused – application dismissed Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56 – 64 Defamation Act 1974 (NSW), s 9 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 4, 8, 19 and 23 Defamation Act 2005 (Vic), s 23 Cases Cited: AON Risk Services Australia Ltd v Australian National University (2009) 239 CLR 175 Boikov v Dailymail.com Australia Pty Ltd; Boikov v Network Ten Pty Ltd; Boikov v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2016] NSWDC 161 Buckley v Herald and Weekly Times Pty Ltd (No 2) [20008] VSC 475 Butler v News-Leader Co, 51 SE 213 (Va 1905) Butler v Evening-Leader Co, 134 F 994 (D CT 1905) Butler v Carter & Russell Publications Co, 135 F 69 5th Cir 1905 Carey v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2010] NSWCA 176 Carey v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2010] NSWSC 709 Every Evening Printing Co v Butler 144 F 916 (3d Cir 1906) Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Cummings [2012] ACTCA 36; (2012) 269 FLR 182 Gayle v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2); Gayle v The Age Company Pty Ltd (No 2); Gayle v The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 1838 Habib v Radio 2UE Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 231 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 (NSW), s 5(1)(c) Macquarie Bank Ltd v Berg [2002] NSWSC 254 Mohareb v Booth [2020] NSWCA 49 Monson v Tussauds Ltd; Monson v Louis Tussaud [1894] 1 QB 671; [1891-4] All ER Rep 1051; (1894) 58 JP 524; (1894) 63 LJQB 454; (1894) 70 LT 335; (1894) 9 R 177; (1894) 10 TLR 227 O'Grady v Northern Queensland Co (1990) 169 CLR 356 Rastogi v Nolan [2010] NSWSC 735 Reynolds v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2012] VSC 226 Travelex v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (2010) 241 CLR 510 UBS AG v Tyne [2018] HCA 45; (2018) 265 CLR 77; (2018) 92 ALJR 968; (2018) 360 ALR 184 Waterhouse v The Age Company [2011] NSWSC 159 Texts Cited: New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Report on Defamation (New South Wales Law Reform Commission Report 11 (1971) Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Plaintiff: Lennard Bruce Roberts First Defendant: The Manning Community News Pty Ltd (ACN 605502378) Second Defendant: Grace Dianne Morrissey Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Ms C Amato / Mr T Senior Defendant: Mr R Potter