The Sydney Cosmetic Specialist Clinic Pty Ltd v Hu [2022] NSWCA 1

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: The Sydney Cosmetic Specialist Clinic Pty Ltd v Hu [2022] NSWCA 1 Hearing dates: 30 August 2021 Date of orders: 28 January 2022 Decision date: 28 January 2022 Before: Basten JA at [1] Gleeson JA at [2] McCallum JA at [90] Decision: 2021/28293 (1) Revoke the grant of leave to appeal given on 7 May 2021; (2) Notice of appeal filed 17 May 2021 be dismissed; (3) Appellants to pay the respondents' costs in this Court. 2021/103515 (1) Summons seeking leave to appeal filed 29 June 2021 be dismissed with costs. Catchwords: APPEALS – application for leave – whether grant of leave should be revoked – whether reasonably clear injustice going beyond something that is merely arguable CIVIL PROCEDURE – pleadings and particulars – pleadings in defamation – adequacy of particulars of publication, identification and extrinsic facts – where plaintiffs alleged five posts in WeChat group were defamatory – plaintiffs failed to comply with condition of leave to replead – seventh version of pleadings over four years – whether pleadings provided sufficient particulars for defendants to know case they have to meet – whether primary judge erred in summarily dismissing proceedings Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 57 District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 127(2)(a) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), s 14B Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 13.4, 15.1, 15.19. 42.1 Cases Cited: Be Financial Pty Ltd as trustee for Be Financial Operations Trust v Das [2012] NSWCA 164 Bruce v Odhams Press Ltd [1936] 1 KB 697 Cross v Denley (1952) 52 SR (NSW) 112 Dare v Pulham (1982) 148 CLR 658; [1982] HCA 70 David Syme & Co v Canavan (1918) 25 CLR 234; [1918] HCA 50 Fregnan v Stanizzo (2016) 92 NSWLR 318; [2016] NSWCA 264 Golden Season Pte Ltd v Kairos Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 38 Kruse v Lindner (1978) 45 FLR 412 Lee v Wilson (1934) 51 CLR 276; [1934] HCA 60 Macatangay v State of New South Wales (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 272 McGinn v Cranbrook School [2016] NSWCA 226 Morgan v Odhams Press Ltd [1971] 1 WLR 1239 Palace Films Pty Ltd v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 1136 Scelfo v Rutgers University (1971) 282 A 2d 445 Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services v Smith (2017) 95 NSWLR 597; [2017] NSWCA 206 Sims v Wran [1984] 1 NSWLR 317 Steele v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1974} 2 NSWLR 348 The Sydney Cosmetic Specialist Clinic Pty Ltd v Hu [2019] NSWDC 482 The Sydney Cosmetic Specialist Clinic Pty Ltd v Hu [2020] NSWDC 786 Zoef v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2016) 92 NSWLR 570; [2016] NSWCA 283 Texts Cited: Tobin and Sexton, Australian Defamation Law and Practice (LexisNexis) Category: Principal judgment Parties: The Sydney Cosmetic Specialist Clinic Pty Ltd (First appellant) Siew Yi Lee (Second appellant) Yiwen Hu (First respondent) Lijue Ma (Second respondent) Representation: Counsel: A Cheshire SC / C Roberts (Appellants) Y Hu (Self-represented) (First respondent) R Potter SC / M Polden (Second respondent)