Bashford v Information Australia [2000] NSWSC 665

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Bashford v Information Australia [2000] NSWSC 665 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law

FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20872/97 HEARING DATE(S) : 19-20 June 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 12 July 2000

Rex Bashford (Plaintiff)

PARTIES : v

Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Ltd (Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Davies AJ

COUNSEL : P: Mr R A Campbell, Mr W S Andrews D: Mr T S Hale SC, Mr M S White SOLICITORS : P: Eakin McCaffery Cox D: Corrs Chambers Westgarth CATCHWORDS : Defamation - whether circumstances of publication such that person defamed was not likely to suffer harm - whether imputation was a matter of substantial truth - whether libel occurred on an occasion of common law qualified privilege - whether malice - whether other and different contextual imputations arose from the publication - damages and aggravated damages. LEGISLATION CITED : Defamation Act 1974, ss 13, 15, 16, 24 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 52 ACOHS Pty Ltd v RA Bashford Consulting P/L (Federal Court, Merkel J, unrep, 9/5/97) Chappell v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1984) Aust Torts Reps 80-691 King and Mergen Holdings P/L v McKenzie (1991) 24 NSWLR 305 Howden v "Truth" and "Sportsman" Ltd (1937) 58 CLR 416 Adam v Ward [1917] AC 309 Horrocks v Lowe [1975] AC 135 Lange v ABC (1997) 189 CLR 520 Bellino v ABC (1996) 185 CLR 183 CASES CITED : Barbaro v Amalgamated Television Services P/L (1985) 1 NSWLR 30 Austin v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1985) 3 NSWLR 354 Thom v Associated Newspapers Ltd (1964) 64 SR(NSW) 376 Baffsky v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1991) Aust Torts Reps 81-144 Webb v Times Publishing Co Ltd [1960] 2 QB 535 Waterhouse v Broadcasting Station 2GB P/L (1985) 1 NSWLR 58 Jackson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1981) 1 NSWLR 36 Malec v J C Hutton P/L (1990) 169 CLR 638 Uren v John Fairfax & Sons P/L (1966) 117 CLR 118 Humphries v TWT Ltd (1993) 114 ACTR 1 DECISION : Dismissed with costs.