THEODORE SKALKOS & ANOR v JOSEPH ASSAF & ANOR [2002] NSWCA 14

Reported Decision : (2002) Aust Torts Reports 81-644

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : THEODORE SKALKOS & ANOR v JOSEPH ASSAF & ANOR [2002] NSWCA 14 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40860/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 24 and 25 September 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 13 February 2002

PARTIES : THEODORE SKALKOS & ANOR v JOSEPH ASSAF & ANOR JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Giles JA at 88; Fitzgerald AJA at 139

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Supreme Court - Common Law Division LOWER COURT CL 18374/93 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Carruthers AJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Appellant: D F Jackson QC/ J A Darvall Respondent: TEF Hughes QC/ K A Rees SOLICITORS : Appellant: Tony Lazaropoulos Respondent: Mallesons Stephen Jaques CATCHWORDS : Defamation - qualified privilege - whether judge conflated issues of malice and excess of occasion of privilege - Judge's conclusions on qualified privilege at common law not a discretionary ruling - whether in emphasising the inaccuracy of the imputations the judge overlooked the fact privilege may be attracted despite untrue defamatory statements - Schedule of questions placed before the jury -form of template misleading - inconsistency in answers - whether trial judge entitled to treat second answer as surplusage - whether answers could not logically stand together - whether s13 Defamation Act defence should have been available - Adequacy of summing up. (D) LEGISLATION CITED : Defamation Act 1974 (NSW) Assaf v Skalkos [2000] NSWSC 418; Austin v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1985) 3 NSWLR 354; Barbaro v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd (1989) Aust Tort Rep 80-264; Bellino v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1996) 185 CLR 183; Brancato v Australian Telecommunications Commission (1986) 7 NSWLR 30; Bugg v Day (1949) 79 CLR 442; Chappell v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1984) Aust Torts R 80-691; Dempster v Coates, Court of Appeal, unreported, 11 April 1990; Guise v Kouvelis (1947) 74 CLR 102; Horrocks v Lowe [1975] AC 135; House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; Huntsman Chemical Co Australia Ltd v International Pools Australia Ltd (1995) 36 NSWLR 242; John Fairfax & Sons Ltd v Vilo [2001] NSWCA 290; King & Mergen Holdings Pty Ltd v McKenzie (1991) 24 NSWLR 305; CASES CITED: Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520; Liquor Marketing Group v Sadler [2000] NSWCA 161; London Association for Protection of Trade v Greenlands Ltd [1916] 2 AC 15; MacKenzie v The Queen (1996) 190 CLR 348; McDonnell & East Ltd v McGregor (1936) 56 CLR 50; McLean v David Syme & Co Ltd (1970) 72 SR(NSW) 513; Morgan v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1990) 20 NSWLR 511; Morgan v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (No 2) (1991) 23 NSWLR 374; Morosi v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1977] 2 NSWLR 749; Mourani v Jeldi Manufacturing Pty Ltd (1983) 57 ALJR 825; Mowlds v Fergusson (1939) 40 SR(NSW) 311; Otis Elevators Pty Ltd v Zitis (1986) 5 NSWLR 171; Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Parker (1992) 9 NSWLR 448; Reynolds v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 2 AC 127; Schulmann v Peters [1961] ALR 209; DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs.