Bechara v Bonacorso (No. 4) [2010] NSWDC 234

New South Wales District Court

CITATION: Bechara v Bonacorso (No. 4) [2010] NSWDC 234

HEARING DATE(S): 17-21, 24-26 May 2010; 25 June 2010; 1, 11, 18 and 24 August 2010 (submissions)

JUDGMENT DATE: 15 October 2010

JURISDICTION: Civil

JUDGMENT OF: Gibson DCJ

(1) Judgment for the defendant for each of the first, second and third matters complained of. DECISION: (2) Plaintiff pay defendant's costs. (3) Liberty to restore concerning costs. (4) Exhibits retained for 28 days.

CATCHWORDS: TORT - defamation - plaintiff and defendant involved in Land & Environment Court litigation - car fires at the defendant's office and family property shortly after defendant's family company wins the case - defendant visits police station twice and identifies the plaintiff, in relation to these offences, to a police officer during an interview - whether publication in terms of the matters complained of established - whether the publications - were made on an occasion protected by common law qualified privilege or pursuant to s 30 - whether s 33 defence made out - judgment for defendant

Defamation Act 1974 (NSW), s 13 LEGISLATION CITED: Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 30, 33, 38 and 40 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56 – 62

Adams v Ward [1917] AC 309 Ainsworth v Burden [2006] NSWCA 199 Aktas v Westpac Banking Corporation Ltd [2007] NSWSC 1261 Ali v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 183 Barbaro v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 30 Bashford v Information Australia (2004) 218 CLR 366 Bechara v Bonacorso [2009] NSWDC 131 Bennette v Cohen [2009] NSWCA 60 Calwell v Ipec Australia Ltd (1975) 135 CLR 321 Cohen v Bennette [2009] HCA Trans 291 Croucher v Inglis (1889) 16 IR 774 F & D Bonaccorso Pty Ltd v City of Canada Bay City Council [2007] NSWLEC 159 For the Good Times Pty Ltd v Colten [2007] NSWSC 807 Fraser v Homes [2009] NSWCA 36 Griffith v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2010] NSWCA 257 Gross v Weston [2007] NSWCA 1 Habib v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCA 34 Hays Plc v Hartley [2010] EWHC 1068 Hebditch v McIlwaine [1894] 2 QB 54 Horrocks v Lowe [1975] AC 135 Ingot Capital Investments Pty Ltd v Macquarie Equity Capital Markets (No 6) (2007) 63 ACSR 1; [2007] NSWSC 124 CASES CITED: Jennings v Buchanan [2005] 2 NZLR 577 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Jones v Sutton (2004) 61 NSWLR 614 Jones v Sutton (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 203 Lamb v West (1884) 15 LR (NSW) 120 Lewis v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234 Lindholt v Hyer (2008) 251 ALR 514 Malcolm v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2007) Aust Torts Reports 81-915 McKenzie v Mergen Holdings Pty Ltd (1990) 20 NSWLR 42 Mirror Newspaper v Harrison (1982) 149 CLR 293 P & W v Manny [2010] ACTSC 50 Papaconstuntinos v Holmes à Court [2009] NSWSC 903 Peterson v Advertiser Newspapers Ltd (1995) 64 SASR 152 Roberts v Bass (2002) 212 CLR 1 Rogers v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2003) 216 CLR 327 Shelmerdine v Mewett [1993] Aust Def R 51-075 Sinclair v Bjelke-Petersen [1984] 1 Qd R 484 Sutherland v Neill (1887) 6 NZLR 5 The Producers' and Citizens' Co-operative Assurance Company of Australia Limited v Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited (1931) SASR 244 Tournier v National Provincial and Union Bank of England [1924] 1 KB 461 Turner v MGM Pictures Ltd [1950] 1 All ER 449 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315