Shandil v Sharma [2010] NSWDC 273

New South Wales District Court

CITATION: Shandil v Sharma [2010] NSWDC 273

HEARING DATE(S): 19 - 23 April 2010 (hearing); 7 and 20 May, 4 June, 5 and 30 August 2010

JUDGMENT DATE: 8 December 2010

JURISDICTION: Civil

JUDGMENT OF: Gibson DCJ

(1) Judgment for the plaintiff for $80,000. DECISION: (2) Defendant pay plaintiff's costs. (3) Matter relisted on Friday 10 December 2010 at 2.00pm for applications concerning interest and costs. (4) Exhibits retained for 28 days.

CATCHWORDS: TORT – defamation – school principal accused of forgery by the P&C President at a school meeting and summarily dismissed – defences of justification and qualified privilege at common law – damage to reputation included three republications – award of $80,000 damages

Associations Incorporation Act 1984 (NSW), s 19(3) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 60 and 63 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 99 LEGISLATION CITED: Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 25, 26, 30, 38 and 48 District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 159 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), Part 15 r 15.27

Adam v Ward [1917] AC 309 Ainsworth v Burden (2003) 56 NSWLR 630 Allen v Tobias (1958) 98 CLR 367 Amalgamated Television Services v Marsden (1998) 43 NSWLR 158 Andrews v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 225 Andrews v Racken Pty Ltd [2007] NSWSC 1010 Antoniadis v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Levine J, 24 April 1997) AON Risk Services Australia Ltd v Australian National University (2009) 239 CLR 175 Archer v Channel Seven Perth Pty Ltd [2002] WASC 160 Associated Leisure Ltd (Phonographic Equipment Company Ltd) v Associated Newspapers Ltd [1970] 2 QB 450; [1970] 2 All ER 754 Australian Broadcasting Commission v Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (1973) 129 CLR 99 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v McBride [2001] NSWCA 322 Barclay's Finance Holdings Ltd v John Robert Sturgess & Ors (Wood J, 29 July 1985, unreported) Bashford v Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 366 Bellino v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1996) 185 CLR 183 Bennette v Cohen [2009] NSWCA 60 Bowen v Hall (1881) 6 QBD 333 Brady v Norman [2010] EWHC 1215 (QB) Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Broome v Cassell [1972] AC 1027 Brott v R (1992) 173 CLR 426; [1992] HCA 5 Buchanan v Jennings [2005] 1 AC 115 Burstein v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 1 WLR 579 Carney v Mack (Supreme Court of NSW, Levine J, 16 December 1998, unreported) Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44 Casey v Australian Broadcasting Commission [1981] 1 NSWLR 305 Cha v Oh (No. 22) (Part 1) [2009] NSWDC 299 Chalmers v Shackell (1834), 6 C. & P. 475, 172 ER 1326 Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd v Mahommed [2010] NSWCA 335 Chu Siu Kuk Yuen v Apple Daily Ltd [2002] 1 HKLRD 1 Clough v Mirror Newspapers Pty Ltd (28 November 1983) Clover Bond Pty Ltd v Carroll [2004] WASC 216 Coles Myer Ltd v Webster; Coles Myer Ltd v Thompson [2009] NSWCA 299 Crampton v Nugawela (1996) 41 NSWLR 176 Cropper v Smith (1884) 26 CHD 700 Cross v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 80 David v Chibo [2006] NSWSC 1257 Dennis v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2008] NSWCA 37 Deveigne v Askar (2007) 239 ALR 370 Duckworth v First National Bank 254 SC 563, 176 SE 2d 568 Forrest v Askew [2007] WASC 161 Fraser v Holmes [2009] NSWCA 36 Goodrich Aerospace Pty Ltd v Arsic [2006] NSWCA 187 Goyan v Motyka [2008] NSWCA 28 Graham v Fogarty (1970) 92 WN (NSW) 452 Greenyard v George Washington University 512 F.2d 556 (DC cir. 1975) Grubic v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (Supreme Court of NSW, Hunt J, 7 December 1984, unreported) Guise v Kouvelis (1947) 74 CLR 102 Habib v Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 231 Hart v Wrenn (1995) 124 FLR 135; (1995) A Def R 52-025 Henwood v Harrison (1872) LR7CP 606 Herald & Weekly Times Ltd v Popovic [2003] VSCA 161 ; (2003) 9 VR 1 Hill v Westfield [2003] NSWSC 437 Holmes v Fraser [2008] NSWSC 570 Holmes à Court v Papaconstuntinos [2010] NSWCA 329 Hornal v Neuberger Products Ltd [1957] 1 QB 247; [1956] 3 All ER 970 Horrocks v Lowe [1975] AC 135 Howard v Nationwide Publishing Services Pty Ltd (Supreme Court of NSW, Hunt J, 26 February 1987, unreported) Howden v Truth and Sportsman Ltd [1937] HCA 74 ; (1937) 58 CLR 416 CASES CITED: Howden v Truth & Sportsman Ltd (No 2) (1938) 38 SR (NSW) 287 Ingot Capital Investment Pty Ltd v Macquarie Equity Capital Markets (No. 6) (2007) 63 ACSR 1 Jackson v Jackson [1970] 2 NSWR 454 Jackson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1981] 1 NSWLR 36 John Fairfax and Sons Ltd v Carson (1991) 24 NSWLR 259 Junius v Messenger Press [1999] SASC 99 Justin v Associated Newspapers [1967] 1 NSWR 61 Lamb v West (1884) 15 LR (NSW) 120 Lewis v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234 Ley v Hamilton (1935) 153 LT 384 Lindholdt v Hyer [2008] NSWCA 264 Macquarie Bank Ltd v National Mutual Life Assn of Australasia Ltd (Cole J, 15 June 1995, unreported) Marsden v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 510 McCarey v Associated Newspapers Ltd (No. 2) [1965] 2 AC 86 McKenzie v Mergen Holdings Pty Ltd (1990) 20 NSWLR 42 McMahon v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCA 308 Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd v Nicholls [2008] NSWSC 501 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v Harrison (1982) 149 CLR 293 Mitchell v Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 1051 Neat Holdings Pty Ltd v Karajan Holdings Pty Ltd (1992) 110 ALR 449 Northside Developments Pty Ltd v Registrar-General (1990) 170 CLR 146 Palmer Bruyn & Parker Pty Ltd v Parsons [2001] HCA 69 ; (2001) 208 CLR 388 Palmer v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1986) 5 NSWLR 727 Papaconstuntinos v Holmes à Court [2009] NSWSC 903 Peppers Hotel Management Pty Ltd v Hotel Capital Partners Ltd (2004) 12 BPR 22,879; [2004] NSWCA 114 Peters v Bradlaugh (1888) 4 TLR 414 Plato Films Ltd v Speidel [1979] UKHL 4; (1961) AC 1090 Prager v Times Newspapers Ltd (1988) 1 WLR 77 Proudnam v Yellow Express Carriers Ltd [1970] 1 NSWR 495 Rakhimov v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2001] NSWSC 10 Reg v Hartshorn (1853) 6 Cox CC 395 Roberts v Bass (2002) 212 CLR 1 Rogers v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2003) 216 CLR 327 Ryan v Premachandran [2009] NSWSC 1186 Sergi v Australian Broadcasting Commission [1983] 2 NSWLR 669 Sims v Wran [1984] 1 NSWLR 317 Sinclair v Bjelke-Petersen [1984] 1 Qd R 484 Singleton v Ffrench (1986) 5 NSWLR 425 Skalkos v Assaf [2002] NSWCA 14 Speight v Gosnay (1891) 60 LJQB 231 State of Queensland v JL Holdings Pty Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 146 Sutherland v Neill (1887) 6 NZLR 5 Tedeschi v Franklins Ltd (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Levine J, 23 September 1994, unreported) The Nominal Defendant v Kostic [2007] NSWCA 14 Thompson v Australian Consolidated Press [1968] 3 NSWR 642 Thompson v Bridges, 209 Ky. 710, 273 S.W. 529 (Ky. App. 1925) 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 Turner v News Group Newspapers Ltd (CA) [2006] 1 WLR 3469 Uren v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1966) 117 CLR 118 Waterhouse v Broadcasting Station 2 GB Pty Ltd (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Hunt J, 20 October 1986, unreported) Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Webb v Bloch (1928) 41 CLR 331 Webster v Coles Myer Ltd; Thompson v Coles Myer Ltd [2009] NSWDC 4; (2009) 9 DCLR (NSW) 123 Whalan v Kogarah Municipal Council [2007] NSWCA 5 Whelan v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 1028; (2002) 56 NSWLR 89 Wootton v Sievier [1913] 3 KB 499; [1911-13] All ER Rep 1001; [1913] WN 187 Zaia v Chibo [2005] NSWSC 917 Zarth v Williamson [2006] NSWCA 246 Zierenberg v Labouchere [1893] 2 QB 183