John Fairfax & Sons Ltd & Anor v Vilo [2001] NSWCA 290

Reported Decision : [2001] ACL Rep 145 NSW 41 52 NSWLR 373

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : John Fairfax & Sons Ltd & Anor v Vilo [2001] NSWCA 290 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40869/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 16, 17 August 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 12 September 2001

John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (First Appellant) PARTIES : David Syme & Co Ltd (Second Appellant) Enn Vilo (Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Giles JA at 2; Heydon JA at 3

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court LOWER COURT SC 17027/83 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Simpson J JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Mr W H Nicholas QC/Mr J S Wheelhouse (Appellants) Mr C A Evatt/Mr T Molomby/Mr G Hansen (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Mallesons Stephen Jaques (Appellants) Leitch Hasson & Dent (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : Torts - Defamation - Appeal against decision of jury - Damages - Defence re contextual imputations - Whether quantum of damages manifestly excessive - Whether jury's finding that contextual imputation was untrue was perverse and led to miscarriage of justice justifying re-trial - Defamation Act 1974 (NSW), s 16 - Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW), Pt 51 r 23(1) - Torts - Defamation - Appeal against decision and directions of trial judge - Whether statutory and common law defences of qualified privilege made out - Whether publishers' actions were "reasonable" - Whether trial judge should have directed jury to consider range of damages in personal injury verdicts - Whether trial judge should have ordered separate verdicts for the various imputations - Defamation Act 1974 (NSW), ss 9(5), 22(1)(c), 46A(2), 48(b) - Evidence - Relevance - Representations - Form - Discretion - Evidence Act 1995 ss 55, 57, 65 and 135 - D Defamation Act 1974 Evidence Act 1898 LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 Human Rights Act 1998 (UK) Motor Accidents Act 1988 Workers Compensation Act 1987 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44 Coyne v Citizen Finance Ltd (1991) 172 CLR 211 Crampton v Nugawela (1996) 41 NSWLR 176 Holford v Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Co Ltd [1909] VLR 497 Hughes v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1985) 3 NSWLR 504 Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520 Midalco Pty Ltd v Rabendt [1989] VR 461 CASES CITED: Morgan v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (No 2) (1991) 23 NSWLR 374 Morosi v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1977] 2 NSWLR 749 Plato Films Ltd v Speidel [1961] AC 1090 Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 2 AC 127; [1999] 3 WLR 1010 Ritz Hotel Ltd v Charles of the Ritz Ltd (Nos 15 and 16) (1988) 14 NSWLR 107 Singleton v Ffrench (1986) 5 NSWLR 425 Singleton v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (No 1) [1983] 2 NSWLR 722 TCN Channel 9 Pty Ltd v Antoniadis (1998) 44 NSWLR 682 Tobias v Allen (No 2) [1957] VR 21 Wright v Australian Broadcasting Commission [1977] 1 NSWLR 697 DECISION : Appeal dismissed. Appellants to pay the respondent's costs of the appeal.