Kermani & Ors v Seervai [2021] NSWDC 449

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Kermani & Ors v Seervai [2021] NSWDC 449 Hearing dates: 26 August 2021 Date of orders: 26 August 2021 Decision date: 26 August 2021 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: Order: (1) Strike out the following paragraphs of the proposed amended statement of claim with leave to replead as provided for in Order 5 below: (a) The claim for republications made by the third plaintiff set out in paragraph 24; (b) The particulars of identification set out in paragraph 25. (2) Pursuant to UCPR r 28.2, strike out the following imputations as not reasonably capable of being conveyed: imputations 30(a), 36(a), 36(c), 41(a), 41(c), 46(a), 46(b), 46(c), 46(d) and 50(a). (3) Strike out imputation 36(e) on the basis that this imputation is not reasonably capable of a defamatory meaning. (4) Dismiss the defendant's form and capacity challenges to imputations 36(g) and (h), 41(g) and (h), 46(h) and (i), 50 (e) and (f). (5) Grant leave to the Plaintiffs to file and serve a further Amended Statement of Claim by 9 September 2021. (6) Matter stood over to the Defamation List for directions on 16 September 2021 at 9am. (7) Plaintiffs are to pay the defendant's costs of the argument, including objection to previous drafts of the proposed Amended Statement of Claim as well as the costs thrown away by reason of the plaintiff being granted leave to amend. Catchwords: TORT – defamation – publication and identification – whether plaintiffs can sue for publications they themselves made where the defendant said they had "authority to circulate" the matter complained of - imputations – rulings on form and capacity – vulgar abuse and use of slang or invective: "motherfucker"; "arselicker"; "Terminator"; "queen bee" Legislation Cited: Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 14.30, 28.2 and 42.1 Cases Cited: Aldridge v Johnston [2020] SASCFC 31 Aleksandrov & Ors v Dimovski & Ors [2005] NSWDC 19 Al-Shennag v Statewide Roads Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 1412 Balmain New Ferry Co Ltd v Robertson (1906) 4 CLR 379; [1906] HCA 83 Bass v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2003] NSWCA 118 Bennette v Cohen (2005) 64 NSWLR 81 Berkoff v Burchill [1996] 4 All ER 1008 Bleyer v Google Inc (2014) 88 NSWLR 670; [2014] NSWSC 897 Brisciani v Piscioneri (No 4) [2016] ACTCA 32 Corby v Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 227 Defteros v Google LLC [2021] VSCA 167 Dudzinski v Kellow [1999] FCA 1264 Dunsec Pty Ltd & Ors v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 155 Echo Publications Pty Ltd v Tucker & Anor; Echo Publications v Fast Buck$ & Anor [2007] NSWCA 73 Frawley v New South Wales [2006] NSWSC 248 Frew v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd [2004] VSC 311 Habib v Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 231 Harding v Essey [2005] WASCA 30 Jameel v Dow Jones & Co Inc [2005] EWCA Civ 75; [2005] QB 946 Jones v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd (1991) 23 NSWLR 364 Massarani v Kriz [2020] NSWCA 252 McGuiness v J T Publishing Australia Pty Ltd [1999] NSWSC 471 Minus v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd [2017] NSWSC 191 Mitchel v Faber & Faber Limited [1998] EMLR 807 Mundey v Askin [1982] 2 NSWLR 369 Ralston v Fomich (1992) 66 BCLR (2d) 166 Rock v Henderson [2021] NSWCA 155 Singleton v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (Supreme Court (NSW), Hunt J, 20 February 1980, unreported Speight v Gosnay [1891] 60 LJQB 231 Stoltenberg v Bolton [2020] NSWCA 45 Tawhidi v Awad [2020] VSC 847 Toben v Milne [2014] NSWCA 200 Toomey v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 291 Tory v Megna [2007] NSWCA 13 Trantum v McDowell [2007] NSWCA 138 Wen Yue He v Chinese Newspapers Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 253 Zarth v Williamson [2006] NSWCA 246 Texts Cited: Professor R. E. Brown, Brown on Defamation (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, United States), Second Edition Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Plaintiffs: First Plaintiff: Tirandaz Kermani Second Plaintiff: Ruzbeh Mediomah Desai Third Plaintiff: Farida Sheeriar Irani Fourth Plaintiff: Sammy Jimm Marfatia Fifth Plaintiff: Nauzer Bana