Vacik Distributors Pty Limited & Anor v Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Anor No.8 [2000] NSWSC 732

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Vacik Distributors Pty Limited & Anor v Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Anor No.8 [2000] NSWSC 732 FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20326/97 HEARING DATE(S) : 03/11/99, 04/11/99, 08/11/99, 09/11/99, 10/11/99, 11/11/99, 12/11/99, 15/11/99, 16/11/99, 17/11/99, 18/11/99, 19/11/99. JUDGMENT DATE : 8 August 2000

PARTIES : Vacik Distributors Pty Limited & Anor v Australian Broadcasting Corporation & Anor No. 8 JUDGMENT OF : Sperling J at 1

T K Tobin QC/P W Gray (First and second plaintiff)

COUNSEL : R K Weaver (First defendant)

W T Houghton QC/D R Sibtain (Second defendant) Swaab & Associates (First and second plaintiffs)

SOLICITORS : M Martin (First defendant)

Blake Dawson Waldron (Second defendant) CATCHWORDS : Defamation - assessment of damages. LEGISLATION CITED : Defamation Act 1974. CASES CITED : Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44; Bickel v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1981) 2 NSWLR 474; Triggell v Pheeney (1951) 82 CLR 497; Costello and Abbott v Random House Pty Limited [1999] ACTSC 13; Tingle & Anor v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd & Anor (1999) Aust Torts Reports 81-510; Dingle v Associated Newspapers [1961] 2 QB 162; Comalco Ltd v ABC (1985) 64 ACTR 1; RSPCA v 2KY Broadcasters Pty Ltd (Unreported), NSWSC, 9 December 1988, Hunt J; Lewis v Daily Telgraph [1964] AC 234; Waterhouse v Broadcasting Station 2GB Pty Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 58; Howlett v Saggers & Anor (Unreported), NSWSC, 24 April 1998, Donovan AJ; Readers Digest Services Pty ltd v Lamb (1982) 150 CLR 500; Wisdom v Brown (1885) 1 TLR 412; Plato Films v Speidel [1961) ACT 1090; Broome v Cassell & Co Ltd [1972] 1027; Hughes v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1985) 3 NSWLR 504; Australia Consolidated Press v Ettinghausen (Unreported), NSWCA, 13 October 1993. DECISION : See paragraph 102.