Waterhouse v The Herald and Weekly Times Limited [2000] NSWSC 546

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Waterhouse v The Herald and Weekly Times Limited [2000] NSWSC 546 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20009/97 HEARING DATE(S) : 9 June 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 19 June 2000

PARTIES : Gai WATERHOUSE - Plaintiff THE HERALD AND WEEKLY TIMES LIMITED - Defendant JUDGMENT OF : Simpson J at 1

COUNSEL : Mr C Evatt - Plaintiff Mr A Henskens - Defendant SOLICITORS : Ward Maxwell & Co - Plaintiff Corrs Chambers Westgarth - Defendant CATCHWORDS : Defamation - interrogatories - adequacy of answers - relevance - whether plaintiff has sued publishers of other allegedly defamatory imputations - claim for aggravated damages - relevance of interrogatories to comment defence - discovery - adequacy of affidavit of discovery - obligations of parties in respect of affidavit of discovery - obligations of solicitors in respect of affidavit of discovery - Holding List - implications of consent to matter being placed in Holding List - obligations on parties proceedings in Defamation List - necessity to prepare with diligence - purpose of Defamation List - privileges accorded to parties to defamation proceedings - duties attendant thereon. LEGISLATION CITED : Defamation Act 1974 Seidler v John Fairfax & Sons Limited [1983] 2 NSWLR 390 Dingle v Associated Newspapers Limited [1964] AC 371 CASES CITED : Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44 Chakrovati v Advertiser Newspapers Ltd (1998) 193 CLR 519 Redmond v Uebergang [1984] 1 NSWLR 311 Freuhauf Finance Corporation Pty Limited v Zurich Australian Insuirance Limited (1990) 20 NSWLR 359 DECISION : Plaintiff to answer interrogatories 14, 21-26 inclusive and 30-32 inclusive. The answers are to be provided within fourteen days of the date of delivery of these reasons.; Plaintiff to answer interrogatories 14, 21-26 inclusive and 30-32 inclusive. The answers are to be provided by 16 July. Costs reserved.