Griffith v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2010] NSWCA 257

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Griffith v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2010] NSWCA 257

HEARING DATE(S): 11May 2010, 12 May 2010

JUDGMENT DATE: 7 October 2010

JUDGMENT OF: Hodgson JA at 1; Basten JA at 150; McClellan CJ at CL at 151

DECISION: Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS: DEFAMATION – Defence of truth – Whether available where the imputation is comment – Whether error by primary judge in finding defence made out. - DEFAMATION – Defence of statutory qualified privilege – Interest or apparent interest – Whether defence defeated by malice – whether defendant must exclude malice in order to show that its conduct was reasonable. - DEFAMATION – Defence of comment – Whether available where imputation is partly comment and partly assertion of fact.

LEGISLATION CITED: Defamation Act 1974 ss 7A, 9, 11, 15, 20 – 22, 30 – 33, 35, Evidence Act 1995 s 48

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Austin v Mirror Newspapers Limited [1984] 2 NSWLR 383 Bashford v Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Limited [2004] HCA 5; (2004) 218 CLR 366 Bennette v Cohen [2009] NSWCA 60 Channel Seven Adelaide Pty Ltd v Manock [2007] HCA 60; (2007) 232 CLR 245 Echo Publications Pty Ltd v Tucker; Fast Buck$ v Tucker (No 3) [2007] NSWCA 320 Evatt v Nationwide News Pty Limited [1999] NSWCA 99 Greek Herald Pty Limited v Nikolopoulos [2002] NSWCA 41; (2001) 54 NSWLR 165 CASES CITED: Griffith & Macartney-Snape v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2008] NSWSC 764 John Fairfax Publications v O'Shane [2005] NSWCA 164; (2005) Aust Torts Rep 81-789 Makeig v Derwent [2000] NSWCA 136 Makim v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1990) A Def R 40,521 Morgan v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (No. 2) (1991) 23 NSWLR 374 Roberts v Bass [2002] HCA 57; (2002) 212 CLR 1 Vilo v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [2000] NSWSC 937 Wright v Australian Broadcasting Commission [1977] 1 NSWLR 697