Obeid v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2007] NSWDC 26

New South Wales District Court

CITATION: Obeid v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2007] NSWDC 26

HEARING DATE(S): 27/11/06-30/11/06, 1/12/06, 4/12/06 and 8/12/06, 2/02/07 and 16/02/07

JUDGMENT DATE: 9 March 2007

JURISDICTION: Civil

JUDGMENT OF: Gibson DCJ

DECISION: 1. Judgment for the plaintiff against the defendant for $150,000; 2.Interest at 2% per annum from the date of publication (30 August 2002) to the date of judgment (8 March 2007); 3.The plaintiff and defendant have liberty to apply in relation to order 2 or, in the alternative, to file short minutes of order reflecting the total judgment sum inclusive of interest; 4.Defendant to pay plaintiff's costs; 5.Liberty to restore in relation to any costs or interest argument; 6. Exhibits retained for 28 days

CATCHWORDS: Defamation - statutory defence of qualified privilege, common law qualified privilege for discussion of government and political matters - common law qualified privilege and Reynolds v Times Newspapers Limited - defence of "responsible journalism" - reasonableness - seriousness of imputations - failure to enquire before publication - accuracy of publication - general damages - aggravated compensatory damages - impact of damages awarded in proceedings against other defendants.

LEGISLATION CITED: Defamation Act 1974 (NSW)

Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd v Marsden [2002] NSWCA 419 Austin v Mirror Newspapers (1985) 3 NSWLR 354 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Obeid [2006] NSWCA 231 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v O'Neill (2006) 229 ALR 257 Bonnick v Morris [2003] 1 AC 300 Chappell v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1984) Aust Torts Reports 80-691 Crampton v Nugawela (1996) 41 NSWLR 176 Evatt v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (1999) NSWCA 19 Jameel Co Ltd v Wall Street Journal Europe SPRL [2004] EWHC 37 (QB) Jameel v Wall Street Journal Europe SPRL (No. 2) [2005] EWLA Civ 74 Jameel & Anor v Wall Street Journal [2006] UKHL 44 Jarrett v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 739 CASES CITED: John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd v Kelly (1987) 8 NSWLR 131 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v O'Shane [2005] NSWCA 164 John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd & Anor v Vilo [2001] NSWCA 290 John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd & Anor v Zunter [2006] NSWCA 227 Konstantinidis v Foreign Media Pty Ltd & Ors [2003] NSWSC 1135 Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520 MPB (SA) Pty Ltd v Gogic (1991) 171 CLR 657 Morgan v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (No. 2) (1991) 23 NSWLR 374 Morosi v Mirror Newspapers Limited [1977] 2 NSWLR 749 Obeid v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 1059 Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 2 AC 127 Rogers v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2003) 216 CLR 327 State of New South Wales v Riley (2002-3) 57 NSWLR 496