Munro v Wheeler (No 3) [2025] NSWDC 3

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Munro v Wheeler (No 3) [2025] NSWDC 3 Hearing dates: 26-28 February, 21-25 October, 6 and 19 December 2024 Date of orders: 13 February 2025 Decision date: 13 February 2025 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the defendants. (2) Costs reserved, with liberty to apply. (3) Exhibits retained until further order. Catchwords: TORT – defamation – two publications on Facebook about a search for the first defendant's lost puppy – whether publication and downloading established - defences of common law and statutory qualified privilege, honest opinion and comment, justification, s 91 of the Broadcasting Services Act (Cth) and innocent dissemination - failure of plaintiffs to plead or particularise malice in relation to the qualified privilege and honest opinion defences – judgment for the defendants Legislation Cited: Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (Cth), s 91 Companion Animals Act 1998 (NSW), ss 13, 62 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 25, 30, 31, 32 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 50, 140 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 15.19(2), 15.19(3), 15.19(2)(a), 15.31 Cases Cited: Aaronson v Stones [2023] EWHC 2399 (KB) ABC v Reading [2004] NSWCA 411 Adeang v The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (No 2) [2016] FCA 1599 Aktas v Westpac Banking Corporation Limited [2009] NSWCA 9 Aktas v Westpac Banking Corporation Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 79; [2010] HCA 25 Al-Shennag v Statewide Roads [2010] NSWSC 1412 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Obeid (2006) 66 NSWLR 605 Bailey v WIN Television NSW Pty Ltd (2020) 104 NSWLR 541; [2020] NSWCA 352 Banque Commerciale SA En Liquidation v Akhil Holdings Limited (1990) 169 CLR 279 Bashford v Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 366; [2004] HCA 5 Bazzi v Dutton (2022) 289 FCR 1; [2022] FCAFC 84 Brien v Mrad [2020] NSWCA 259 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Browne v Dunn (1894) 6 R 67 Burstein v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 1 WLR 579 Callan v Chawk [2023] FCA 898 Cantwell v Sinclair [2011] NSWSC 1244 Carolan v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 1091 Carter v Blanco [2024] WASC 447 Cassell & Co Ltd v Broome [1972] UKHL 3; [1972] AC 1027 Channel Seven Adelaide Pty Ltd v Manock (2007) 232 CLR 245; [2007] HCA 60 Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd v Mahommed [2010] NSWCA 335; (2010) 278 ALR 232 Cock & Anor v Hughes & Ors [2001] WASC 24 Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd v Clarke [2013] NSWCA 272 Cooper v Nine Entertainment Co Pty Ltd [2023] FCA 726; (2023) 169 ACSR 583 Corby v Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd (2014) 108 NSWLR 431; [2014] NSWCA 227 Deveigne v Askar [2007] NSWCA 45; (2007) 239 ALR 370 Echo Publications Pty Ltd v Tucker; Fast Buck$ v Tucker (No 3) [2007] NSWCA 320 Enders v Erbas & Associates Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 70; Aust Torts Reports 82–161 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Voller (2021) 273 CLR 346; [2021] HCA 27 Feldman v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 26 Feldman v Polaris Media Pty Ltd as trustee of The Polaris Media Trust trading as The Australian Jewish News (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 1035 Feo v Pioneer Concrete (Vic) Pty Ltd [1999] VSCA 180 Golden Season Pte Ltd v Kairos Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd [2015] SGHC 38 Goodfellow v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 1152 Google LLC v Defteros (2022) 277 CLR 358; (2022) 403 ALR 434; [2022] HCA 27 Habib v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2010) 76 NSWLR 299; [2010] NSWCA 34 Harbour Radio Pty Ltd v Wagner (2019) 2 QR 468 Harrigan v Jones [2000] NSWSC 814 Hay v Cresswell [2023] EWHC 882 (KB) Hayson v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 81 Holmes a Court v Papaconstuntinos (2011) Aust Torts Reports 82-081; [2011] NSWCA 59 Holt v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (2014) 86 NSWLR 96 Howe v Zuchowski [2024] VSCA 56 Lazarus v Deutsche Lufthansa AG (1985) 1 NSWLR 188 Lazos v West Australian Newspapers Ltd [No 2] [2024] WASC 238 Lee v Keddie [2011] NSWCA 2 Legge v Universal Hospitality Group Pty Limited (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 1411 Lehrmann v Network Ten Pty Limited (Trial Judgment) [2024] FCA 369 LVMH Watch & Jewellery Australia Pty Limited v Michael Lassanah & Ors (Costs) [2011] NSWCA 407 Maisel v Financial Times Ltd [1915] 3 KB 336 Marshall v Megna [2013] NSWCA 30 Martrat Pty Limited trading as Huxley Hill & Associates v Murphy [2020] NSWDC 1 McCarey v Associated Newspapers Pty Ltd (No 2) [1965] 2 QB 86 Millane v Nationwide News Pty Ltd t/as Cumberland Newspaper Group [2004] NSWSC 853 Monson v Tussauds Ltd [1894] 1 QB 671 Morosi v Broadcasting Station 2GB Pty Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 418(note) Munro v Wheeler [2024] NSWDC 23 Munro v Wheeler (No 2) [2024] NSWDC 492 O'Brien v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2016] NSWSC 1289 Ouda v Hunter [2024] VSCA 323 Palavi v Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 264 Phelps v Nationwide News Pty Limited [2001] NSWSC 130 Poland v Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Ltd [2023] WASC 383 Prouten v Buxton [2024] NSWDC 182 R v MacDonald [1983] 1 NSWLR 729 Rader v Haines [2022] NSWCA 198 Roberts v Bass (2002) 212 CLR 1; [2002] HCA 57 Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (No 41) [2023] FCA 555 Rodgers v Gooding [2023] QDC 115 Russin v Wesson, 183 Vt 301, 949 A. 2d 1019 (2008) Sandilands v Channel 7 Sydney Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 1250 Selkirk v Wyatt (2024) 302 FCR 541; [2024] FCAFC 48 Singleton v Ffrench (1986) 5 NSWLR 425 Skalkos v Assaf (2002) Aust Torts Reports 81-644; [2002] NSWCA 14 Smith v ADVFN Plc & Ors [2008] EWHC 1797 (QB) Spicer v The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2020] EWHC 1778 (QB) Steele v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1974] 2 NSWLR 348 Stocker v Stocker [2020] AC 593 Stoltenberg v Bolton; Loder v Bolton [2020] NSWCA 45 Surie v MacDonald [2024] QCA 254 The Sydney Cosmetic Specialist Clinic Pty Ltd v Hu [2022] NSWCA 1 Tournier v National Provincial and Union Bank of England [1924] 1 KB 461 Trantum v McDowell [2007] NSWCA 138 Triggell v Pheeney (1951) 82 CLR 497 Umeyor v Ibe [2016] EWHC 862 (QB) Vale v Sutherland (2009) 237 CLR 638; [2009] HCA 26 Voller v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 766 Wake v John Fairfax & Sons Limited (1973) 1 NSWLR 43 Walsh v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2011] NSWDC 42 Waterhouse v Broadcasting Station 2GB Pty Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 58 Waterhouse v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 81 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 White v Overland [2001] FCA 1333 Wing v The Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2018] FCA 1340 Wraydeh v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (2021) 105 NSWLR 254; [2021] NSWCA 153 Zuchowski v Howe; Howe v Cavendish Properties and Zuchowski [2022] VCC 1604 ZXC v Bloomberg LP [2022] AC 1158; [2022] UKSC 5 Texts Cited: Brown on Defamation: Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, United States (2nd ed), at [10-82] Gatley on Libel and Slander (12th ed, 2013, Sweet & Maxwell) J C Gibson (ed.), Aspects of the Law of Defamation in New South Wales (Law Society of New South Wales, 1990) at p. 8 Meital Pinto and Guy Hardman "Shaming: Definition, Historical Origins and Contemporary Proliferation of an Illusiveness Concept", January 2022 SSRN Electronic Journal P George, Defamation Law in Australia (4th ed., 2023, LexisNexis) at [19.1] Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ainslee Kate Munro (1st Plaintiff) Lauren Alicia Marchant (2nd Plaintiff) Shannan Kathleen-Jean Wheeler (1st Defendant) Anne-Marie Francis Curry (2nd Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Lazinski (Plaintiffs) P Larkin SC, J Petry (2nd Defendant)