Whittington v Newman [2024] NSWCA 27

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Whittington v Newman [2024] NSWCA 27 Hearing dates: 23 October 2023 Decision date: 16 February 2024 Before: Leeming JA; Stern JA; Simpson AJA Decision: Summons seeking leave to appeal filed 10 January 2023 dismissed with costs. Catchwords: DEFAMATION – appeal from order granting leave to amend – adequacy of pleading and particulars – amendment to pleading introduced matters arising after commencement of Defamation Amendment Act 2020 (NSW) – operation of concerns notice to matters introduced by amendment – whether sufficient particulars of serious harm to reputation provided – whether sufficient particulars of publication provided – significance of claims of denial of procedural fairness in deciding points of law adversely to defendant Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 10A, 12B, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 44, cl 7 of Sch 4 Defamation Amendment Act 2020 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 15.19 Cases Cited: Amersi v Leslie [2023] EWCA Civ 1468 Banks v Cadwalladr [2023] KB 524; [2023] EWCA Civ 219 Coker v Nwakanma [2021] EWHC 1011 Dow Jones & Co Inc v Gutnick (2002) 210 CLR 575; [2002] HCA 56 Kassam v Hazzard; Henry v Hazzard (2021) 106 NSWLR 520; [2021] NSWCA 299 Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd [2020] AC 612; [2019] UKSC 27 Murdoch v Mudgee Dolomite & Lime Pty Ltd (in liq) [2022] NSWCA 12; 398 ALR 658 Newman v Whittington [2022] NSWSC 1725 Newman v Whittington [2022] NSWSC 249 Texts Cited: D Rolph, "A serious harm threshold for Australian defamation law" (2022) 51(2) Australian Bar Review 185 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Adam Whittington (Applicant) Jasmin Newman (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: S Chrysanthou SC and T Smartt (Applicant) R Armitage (Respondent)