Markisic v AEA Ethnic Publishers Pty Ltd & Ors [2006] NSWCA 378

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Markisic v AEA Ethnic Publishers Pty Ltd & Ors [2006] NSWCA 378

HEARING DATE(S): 13 November 2006

JUDGMENT DATE: 20 December 2006

JUDGMENT OF: Beazley JA at 1; Tobias JA at 2; Basten JA at 220

DECISION: Appeal dismissed with costs

CATCHWORDS: PROCEDURE – defamation claim – litigant in person – refusal of application for appearance of McKenzie friend – refusal of application to vacate or adjourn proceedings – appellant abandoned hearing – whether apprehended bias – whether wrongful admission of witness statements – whether defences of truth and contextual truth made out – standard of proof – course of proceedings in Supreme Court

Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Defamation Act 1974 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) Family Law (Child Abduction Convention) Regulations 1986 (Cth) Migration Act 1958 (Cth) Supreme Court Rules (NSW)

Davis v Regina [2006] NSWCCA 392 Markisic v Department of Community Services (No 2) [2006] NSWCA 321 Markisic v Director-General Department of Community Services (Unreported, 29 September 1998, Nicholson CJ, Kaye and O'Ryan JJ, Full Court of the Family Court) Marsden v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd [1999] NSWSC 619 R v Robson; R v Collette [1978] 1 NSWLR 73 CASES CITED: Regie Nationale Renault v Zhang (2002) 210 CLR 491 Sims v Wran (1984) 1 NSWLR 317 Teese v State Bank of New South Wales [2002] NSWCA 219 The Tourni [1932] P 78 Toric v Toric (1981) FLC 91-046 Walker v W A Pickles Pty Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 281