Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Chesterton [2008] NSWCA 66

Appeal Outcome: Appeal dismissed with costs 22 April 2009 [2009] HCA 16

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Chesterton [2008] NSWCA 66 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 5 March 2008

JUDGMENT DATE: 17 April 2008

JUDGMENT OF: Spigelman CJ at 1; Hodgson JA at 16; McColl JA at 31

DECISION: Appeal dismissed with costs. (see par 15 and par 30)

CATCHWORDS: DEFAMATION — nature of— actual disparagement of the plaintiff's reputation — reputation includes general character and standing and trade, business or professional reputation — DEFAMATION — what is defamatory — requires publication likely to cause ordinary decent folk in the community, taken in general, to think the less of plaintiff — DEFAMATION — nature of injury to business reputation — whether to be determined by reference to whether publication likely to cause ordinary decent folk in the community, taken in general, to think the less of plaintiff — JURY — directions to jury as to standards by which to determine whether an imputation injures plaintiff's trade, business or professional reputation

Defamation Act 1958 Defamation Act 1974 Defamation Act 2005 LEGISLATION CITED: Supreme Court Act 1970 Workers Compensation Act 1987 Defamation Act 1889 (Qld) Queensland Criminal Code 1899 (Qld) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

AK v The State of Western Australia [2008] HCA 8 Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd v Marsden (1998) 43 NSWLR 158 Berkoff v Burchill [1996] 4 All ER 1008. Boyd v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 449 Brighton Ceiling Pty Ltd v Pocrnja [2005] NSWCA 175 Byrne v Deane [1937] 1 KB 818 Cairns v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1983] 2 NSWLR 708 Capital & Counties Bank Ltd v Henty (1882) 7 App Cas 741 Chakravarti v Advertiser Newspapers Ltd [1998] HCA 37; (1998) 193 CLR 519 Cinevest Ltd v Yirandi Productions Ltd [2001] NSWCA 68; (2001) Aust Torts Reports 81–610 Clutha Developments Pty Ltd v Barry (1989) 18 NSWLR 86 Consolidated Trust Co Ltd v Browne (1948) 49 SR (NSW) 86 Dawson Bloodstock Agency Pty Ltd v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1979] 1 NSWLR 16 Drummond-Jackson v British Medical Association [1970] 1 All ER 1094; [1970] 1 WLR 688 Ettingshausen v Australian Consolidated Press Ltd (1991) 23 NSWLR 443 FAI General Insurance Co Ltd v RAIA Insurance Brokers Ltd (1992) 108 ALR 479 Fausett v American Resources Management Corp 542 F Supp 1234 (1982) Favell v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 52; (2005) 79 ALJR 1716 Gacic v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2006] NSWCA 175; (2006) 66 NSWLR 675 Gardiner v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd (1942) 42 SR (NSW) 171 Gorman v Barber [2004] NSWCA 402; (2004) 61 NSWLR 543 Griffiths v Benn (1911) 27 TLR 346 Hall-Gibbs Mercantile Agency Ltd v Dun [1910] HCA 66; (1910) 12 CLR 84 Hepburn v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [1983] 2 NSWLR 682 Howe & McColough v Lees [1910] HCA 67; (1910) 11 CLR 361 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Gacic [2007] HCA 28; (2007) 230 CLR 291 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Rivkin [2003] HCA 50; (2003) 77 ALJR 1657 Jones v Skelton [1964] NSWR 485; [1963] 1 WLR 1362 Joyce v Sengupta [1993] 1 WLR 337; [1993] 1 All ER 897 CASES CITED: Khor v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [1999] VSC 38 Krahe v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (1986) 4 NSWLR 536 Lee v Wilson and Mackinnon [1934] HCA 60; (1934) 51 CLR 276 Lewis v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234 Liquor Marketing Group Ltd v Sadler [2000] NSWCA 161 Mawe v Pigott (1869) IR 4 CL 54 McDonald v North Queensland Newspaper Company Ltd [1997] 1 Qd R 62. Middle East Airlines Airliban S.A.L. v Sungravure Pty Ltd [1974] 1 NSWLR 323 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v World Hosts Pty Ltd [1979] HCA 3; (1979) 141 CLR 632 Monie v Commonwealth of Australia (No 2) [2008] NSWCA 15 Morgan v Mallard (1997) 68 SASR 184 Mundey v Askin [1982] 2 NSWLR 369 Nevill v Fine Art & General Insurance Co Ltd [1897] AC 68 Nixon v Slater & Gordon [2000] FCA 531; (2000) 175 ALR 15 Palmer Bruyn & Parker Pty Ltd v Parsons [2001] HCA 69; (2001) 208 CLR 388 Parmiter v Coupland (1840) 6 M & W 105; (1840) 151 ER 340 Pateman v Higgin [1957] HCA 62; (1957) 97 CLR 521 Potts v Moran (1976) 16 SASR 284 Proctor v Jetway Aviation Pty Ltd [1984] 1 NSWLR 166 Ratcliffe v Evans [1892] 2 QB 524 Reader's Digest Services Pty Ltd v Lamb [1982] HCA 4; (1982) 150 CLR 500 Scott v Sampson (1882) 8 QBD 491 Sim v Stretch [1936] 2 All ER 1237; (1936) 52 TLR 669 Slatyer v Daily Telegraph Newspaper Co Ltd [1908] HCA 22; (1908) 6 CLR 1 State Bank of New South Wales Ltd v Currabubula Holdings Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 47; (2001) 51 NSWLR 399 Sungravure Pty Ltd v Middle East Airlines Airliban SAL [1975] HCA 6; (1975) 134 CLR 1 Switzerland Australia Health Fund Pty Ltd v Shaw (1988) 81 ALR 111 Tolley v J S Fry & Sons Ltd [1930] 1 KB 467 Tournier v National Provincial & Union Bank of England [1924] 1 KB 461 Uren v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd [1966] HCA 40; (1966) 117 CLR 118