Hennessy v Lynch (No. 3) [2007] NSWDC 268

Reported Decision : 6 DCLR (NSW) 247

New South Wales District Court

CITATION: Hennessy v Lynch (No. 3) [2007] NSWDC 268

HEARING DATE(S): 27/08/07-30/08/07, 04/09/07, 14/09/07

JUDGMENT DATE: 13 December 2007

JURISDICTION: Civil

JUDGMENT OF: Gibson DCJ

DECISION: (1) Judgment for the plaintiff in relation to the first publication (on or about 6 October 2001) in the sum of $1,000; (2) Judgment for the plaintiff on the second publication (on or about 14 October 2002) in the sum of $5,000; (3) Judgment for the defendant in relation to the third publication (on or about 18 December 2005); (4) Judgment for the plaintiff in relation to the fourth publication (27 March 2006) in the sum of $10,000; (5) Parties have liberty to bring in short minutes of order containing the mathematically agreed interest payable on the judgment of $16,000; (6) Issues of costs reserved, and the parties to have liberty to apply; (7) Exhibits retained for 28 days.

CATCHWORDS: Tort – defamation – series of four slanders published to the same person – defence of triviality – damages – aggravated compensatory damages

Defamation Act 1974 (NSW), ss.13 and 46A LEGISLATION CITED: Defamation Act 1889 (Qld), s.20 Defamation Act 1957 (Tas), s.9(2)

Ainsworth v Burden [2006] NSWCA 199 Andrew v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 225 Assaf v Skalkos [1999] NSWSC 1332 Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44 Chappell v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1984) Aust Torts Rep 80-691 Crampton v Nugawela (1996) 41 NSWLR 176 at 193 Cuming v Hennessy [2005] NSWSC 1219 David Simon Co v Mather [1977] VR 516 David v Chibo [2006] NSWSC 1257 Doelle v Bedey [2007] QCA 395 Elliott v The Age Company Ltd [2006] VSC 52 English and Scottish Co-operative Mortgage and Investment Society Ltd v Odhams Press Ltd [1940] KB 440 Goodrich Aerospace Pty Ltd v Arsic [2006] NSWCA 187 Harrigan v Jones (2000) Aust Tort Rep 81-621 Hennessy v Lynch [2006] NSWDC 26 Hennessy v Lynch (No. 2) [2006] NSWDC 49 Herald and Weekly Times Ltd v McGregor (1928) 41 CLR 254 Hill v Church of Scientology of Toronto (1995) 184 NR 1 (SCC) John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd and Another v Gacic and Others (2007) 235 ALR 402 CASES CITED: John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v O'Shane (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 291 Jones v Sutton (2004) 61 NSWLR 614 Jones v Sutton (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 203 Kiam v Neill [1996] EMLR 493 (CA) King and Mergen Holdings Pty Ltd v McKenzie (1991) 24 NSWLR 305 Lang v Willis (1934) 52 CLR 637 Markovic v White [2004] NSWSC 37 McMullen v TCN Channel 9 Pty Ltd [2000] NSWSC 925 Moit v Bristow [2005] NSWCA 322 Monti-Haitsma Enterprises Pty Ltd v Lord (New South Wales Court of Appeal, 12 May 1988, unreported) Morosi v Mirror Newspapers Limited [1977] 1 NSW 749 Perkins v New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (Supreme Court of New South Wales, 15 August 1997, unreported) Rigby v Mirror Newspapers (1963) 64 SR (NSW) 34 Rogers v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2003) 216 CLR 327 Singleton v Ffrench (1986) 5 NSWLR 425 State Bank of New South Wales Limited v Currabubula Holdings Pty Limited and Anor [2001] NSWCA 47 The Nominal Defendant v Kostic [2007] NSWCA 14 Waterhouse v Broadcasting Station 2GB Pty Ltd [1985] 1 NSW 58 Zaia v Chibo [2005] NSWSC 917 Zarth v Williamson and Ors [2006] NSWCA 246