Assaf v Skalkos [2000] NSWSC 935

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Assaf v Skalkos [2000] NSWSC 935 revised - 10/10/2000 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law Division Defamation List FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 18374 of 1993 26 May 2000 HEARING DATE(S) : 13 July 2000, and Written Submissions JUDGMENT DATE : 5 October 2000

Joseph Assaf (First Plaintiff) Ethnic Communications Pty Limited (Second Plaintiff) PARTIES : v Theodore Skalkos (First Defendant) Foreign Language Publications Pty Limited (Second Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Carruthers AJ

COUNSEL : K A Rees (Plaintiffs) J R McKenzie (Defendants) Mallesons Stephen Jaques (Plaintiffs) SOLICITORS : Mr T Lazaropoulos (Defendants) apart from 13 July 2000 to 13 September 2000 Theodore Solomon & Partners (Defendants) CATCHWORDS : Defamation - interest on verdicts - Costs - Indemnity costs - Calderbank letter of offer by plaintiffs including requirement of apology - offer deemed to be rejected by defendants - whether plaintiffs entitled to indemnity costs as from date of offer. Queensland District Court Rules, 1968, rule 118 (1). LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Act, 1970, s 76. Supreme Court Rules, 1970, Pt 22, Pt 52 r17. Australian Federation of Consumer Organisations Inc v Tobacco Institute of Australia Ltd (1991) 100 ALR 568. AWA v Daniels (8 October 1992, unreported). Baltic Shipping Co v Dillon (1991) 22 NSWLR 1. Beregold Pty Ltd v Mitsopoulos (Cole J, 20 November 1992, unreported). Calderbank v Calderbank [1976] Fam 93). Dingle v Associated Newspapers [1964] AC 371. Evans v John Fairfax Group Pty Ltd (Unreported, Full Federal Court of Australia, Neaves, Miles and French JJ, 27 May 1994). John Fairfax & Sons Ltd v Kelly (1987) 8 NSWLR 131. Horseshoe Pastoral Company Pty Ltd v Murray Smith t/as South Coast Tile & Slate Company (Court of Appeal, unreported, 7 November 1995). Humphries v TWT Ltd (1994) 120 ALR 693. Huntsman Chemical Company Australia Ltd v International Pools Australia Ltd (1995) 36 NSWLR 242. CASES CITED : Magenta Nominees Pty Ltd v Richard Ellis (Western Australia) Pty Ltd (unreported, 29 August 1995). Maitland Hospital v Fisher (No.2) (1992) 27 NSWLR 721. Messiter v Hutchinson (1997) 10 NSWLR 525. Multicon Engineering Pty Ltd v Federal Airports Corporation (1996) 138 ALR 425. Nobrega v Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church (No. 2) [1999] NSWCA 133. Risk Allah Bey v Johnstone (1868) 18 LT 620. Sanko Steamship Co Ltd v Sumitomo Australia Ltd [Fed.no.22/96]. Singleton v Macquarie Broadcasting Holdings Limited (1991) 24 NSWLR 103. State Authorities Superannuation Board v Property Estates (Queensland) Pty Ltd (Cole J, 8 February 1991, unreported). Timms v Clift [1998] 2 QdR 100. Trans Tasman Investments Pty Ltd v Donohue (Unreported, Court of Appeal 19 March 1991). Williamson v Mig Aero Pty Ltd (Unreported, McLelland J, 15 March 1991). DECISION : See paragraph 125