Australian Broadcasting Corporation v McBride [2001] NSWCA 322

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Australian Broadcasting Corporation v McBride [2001] NSWCA 322 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40684/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 19/09/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 1 November 2001

PARTIES : Australian Broadcasting Corporation v William McBride JUDGMENT OF : Beazley JA at 1; Ipp AJA at 2; Fitzgerald AJA at 77

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court - Common Law Division LOWER COURT SC 15135/88 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Levine J JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : T Tobin QC / R Glasson (Appellant) T E F Hughes QC / R A Campbell (Respondent) SOLICITORS : J Walker (Appellant) Maurice May & Co (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : DEFAMATION - Plea of mitigation of damages - whether trial judge erred in ordering that particulars in support of plea be struck out - whether defendant could rely on particulars despite no defence of justification - whether particulars related to relevant sector of plaintiff's reputation - evidence Court could have regard to in determining that issue - whether relevant sector rule affected by Evidence Act ss 55, 56 - whether defendant could rely on particulars relating to matters arising after date of publication. D LEGISLATION CITED : Defamation Act 1974 Evidence Act 1995 Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Limited (1993) 178 CLR 44 Kelly v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1982] 2 NSWLR 478 O'Hagan v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 302 Burstein v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 1 WLR 579 Scott v Sampson [1882] 8 QBD 491 Hobbs v C T Tinling & Co Ltd [1929] 2 KB 1 Rochfort v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1972] 1 NSWLR 16 Goody v Oldhams Press Ltd [1967] 1 QB 333 Associated Newspapers Ltd & Ors v Dingle [1964] AC 371 Pamplin v Express Newspapers Ltd [1988] 1 WLR 116 Television New Zealand Ltd v Quinn [1996] 3 NZLR 24 Middendorp Electric Co Pty Ltd v Sonneveld [2001] VSC 312 CASES CITED: Plato Films Limited v Speidel (1961) 2 AC 1090 Associated Newspapers Limited v Dingle (1964) AC 371 Speidel v Plato Films Ltd [1961] AC 1090 Jorgensen v NZ Newspapers Limited (1974) 2 NZLR 45 Morosi v Mirror Newspapers Limited [1977] 2 NSWLR 749 Television New Zealand v Prebble [1993] 3 NZLR 513 Marsden v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd [1999] NSWSC 1119 McBride v Walton (Unreported, NSWCA, 15 July 1994) Ron Hodgson (Trading) Pty Limited v Belvedere Motors (Hurstville) Pty Limited [1971] 1 NSWLR 472 Dougherty v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (1968) 88 WN (pt 1) NSW 146 A B Parry & Sons Pty Ltd v The K G Murray Publishing Co (Unreported,NSWSC, 10 April 1980) John Fairfax & Sons v Kelly (1987) 8 NSWLR 131 Broome v Cassell [1972] AC 1027 DECISION : (1) Appellant's application to amend the Notice of Appeal refused (2) Appeal dismissed with costs.