Harkianakis v Skalkos & Ors [1999] NSWSC 505

Reported Decision : [1999] 47 NSWLR 302 [1999] 150 FLR 330

New South Wales Supreme Court CITATION : Harkianakis v Skalkos & Ors [1999] NSWSC 505 CURRENT JURISDICTION : Common Law Division Defamation List FILE NUMBER(S) : 14068/92 HEARING DATE(S) : 25 February 1999 JUDGMENT DATE : 31 May 1999

Stylianos Harkianakis (Plaintiff) PARTIES : Theodore Skalkos (First Defendant) Michael Mystakidis (Second Defendant) Foreign Language Publications Pty Limited (Third Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Dunford J

COUNSEL : Mr NG Pappas (Solicitor) (Plaintiff) Ms JC Gibson (Defendants) SOLICITORS : Nicholas G Pappas & Co. (Plaintiff) Mr T. Lazaropoulos (Defendants) CATCHWORDS : CONSTITUTIONAL LAW - Constitution, s 116 - whether implied right of freedom of discussion of religious matters - PRACTICE & PROCEDURE - Amendment of pleadings - whether futile - PRACTICE & PROCEUDRE - Application to refer issues to Court of Appeal. ACTS CITED : Constitution, s 116. Supreme Court Rules, Parts 12 & 31. Queensland v JL Holdings Pty Limited (1997) 189 CLR 146. Antoniadis v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (1998) 44 NSWLR 682. Horton v Jones (no 2) (1939) 39 SR(NSW) 305. Heath v Goodwin (1986) 8 NSWLR 478. Cadam v Beaverbrook Newspapers Ltd [1959] 1 QB 413. General Steel Industries Inc. v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125. Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520. CASES CITED : Theophanous v Herald and Wekkly Times Limited (1994) 182 CLR 104. Stephens v West Australian Newspapers LImited (1994) 182 CLR 211. Adelaide Company of Jehovah's Witnesses Inc v The Commonwealth (1943) 67 CLR 116. Sivakumar v Pattison [1984] 2 NSWLR 78. Kruger v Commonwealth of Australia (1997) 146 ALR 126. Toomey v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 173. Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Waterhouse (1991) 25 NSWLR 519. David Syme and Co Ltd v Grey (1992) 115 ALR 247. DECISION : See para 29.