Coles Myer Limited v Webster; Coles Myer Limited v Thompson [2009] NSWCA 299

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Coles Myer Limited v Webster; Coles Myer Limited v Thompson [2009] NSWCA 299

HEARING DATE(S): 14 September 2009

JUDGMENT DATE: 8 October 2009

JUDGMENT OF: Hodgson JA at 1; Ipp JA at 12; Handley AJA at 121

DECISION: Both appeals dismissed with costs

CATCHWORDS: TORTS - false imprisonment- provision of false information leading to detention by police – police acting lawfully – whether informant caused or procured this arrest- whether informant was motivated by malice or was mistaken - TORTS - defamation – whether defence of qualified privilege available – whether conduct of publisher reasonable- if the occasions of publication were privileged, whether the imputations published were relevant to those occasions – made up story cannot be relevant to a privileged occasion - malice

LEGISLATION CITED: Defamation Act 1974, s 22

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Aitken v Bedwell [1827] M&M 68; 140 ER 1052 Commonwealth Life Assurance Society Ltd v Brain [1935] 53 CLR 343 Cubillo v Commonwealth [2001] 112 FCR 455 Davidson v Chief Constable of North Wales [1994] 2 All ER 597 Ingot Capital Investments Pty Ltd v Macquarie Equity Capital Markets Ltd [2008] NSWCA 206 Martin v Watson [1996] 1 AC 74 CASES CITED: Moore v Gaurdner (1847) 16 M&W 595; 153 ER 1327 Myer Stores Ltd v Soo [1991] 2 VR 597 Roy v Prior [1971] AC 470; (1970) 2 All ER 729 Ruddock v Taylor [2003] NSWCA 262; (2003) 58 NSWLR 269 Scott v Shepherd (1773) 2 Wm Bl 892 Spautz v Butterworth [1996] 41 NSWLR 1 Warner v Riddiford (1858) 4 CBNS 180