Sarma v The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd [2002] NSWCA 93

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Sarma v The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd [2002] NSWCA 93 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40352/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 14 March 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 5 April 2002

PARTIES : Vimala Sarma (Appellant) The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Limited (Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Stein JA at 1; Santow JA at 24; Ipp AJA at 36

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court - Common Law Division LOWER COURT CL 20390/00 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Grove J JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : C A Evatt (Appellant) B A M Connell (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Ward Maxwell & Co (Appellant) Minter Ellison (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : DEFAMATION - libel - published review of dance performance - jury finds imputation established but not defamatory - whether finding of jury perverse Defamation Act 1974, s 7A - ND LEGISLATION CITED : Defamation Act 1974, s 7A Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) Browne v Agar (1928) 138 LT 698 Buck v Jones [2002] NSWCA 8 Cairns v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1983) 2 NSWLR 708 Carr v Inland Revenue Commissioners [1944] 2 All ER 163 Cinevest Ltd v Yirandi Productions Ltd (2001) ATR 81-610 Duplany v Davis (1886) 3 TLR 1184 CASES CITED: Greek Herald Pty Ltd v Nickolopoulos [2002] NSWCA 4 Hocking v Bell (1942) 42 SR(NSW) 130 Hopwood v Muirson (1945) KB 313 Mechanical & General Inventions Co v Austin [1935] AC 346 Mularczyk v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 467 Prestia v Aknar (1996) 40 NSWLR 165 Young v Wicks (1986) 13 FCR 85 DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs