Manefield v Child Care NSW [2010] NSWSC 1420

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Manefield v Child Care NSW [2010] NSWSC 1420

HEARING DATE(S) : 22-23/11/10

JUDGMENT DATE : 15 December 2010

JURISDICTION : Common Law Division Defamation List

JUDGMENT OF : Kirby J

1. There shall be a verdict for the plaintiff in the sum of $150,000. DECISION : 2. The defendant should pay the plaintiff's costs. 3. Liberty to apply on 2 days notice.

CATCHWORDS : DEFAMATION - dismissed manager - establishing business in same industry - publication to industry - whether imputations conveyed - defence qualified privilege at common law - malice - aggravated damages.

Associations Incorporation Act 1984 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED : Corporations Act 2001 Defamation Act 2005

CATEGORY : Principal judgment

Farquhar v Bottom [1980] 2 NSWLR 380 Megna v Marshall [2010] NSWSC 686 Toogood v Spyring (1834) 1 Cr M & R 181; 149 ER 1044 Roberts v Bass [2002] HCA 57; (2002) 212 CLR 1 Adam v Ward (1917) AC 309 Hunt v Great Northern Railway Co [1891] 2 QB 189 Bashford v Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 5; 218 CLR 366 Guise v Kauvelis (1947) 74 CLR 102 Andreyevich v Kosovich (1947) SR (NSW) 357 Aktas v Westpac Banking Corp Ltd [2010] HCA 25 CASES CITED : Justin v Associated Newspapers Limited (1966) 86 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 17; (1967) 1 NSWLR 61 Mowlds v Fergusson (1939) 40 SR (NSW) 311 Fraser v Holmes [2009] NSWCA 36 Huntley v Ward (1959) 6 CB (NS) 514 Morgan v John Fairfax & Sons Limited (1990) 20 NSWLR 511 Weldon & Co v Harbinson [2000] NSWSC 272 Davidson v Barclay's Bank Ltd (1940) 1 All ER 316 Horrocks v Lowe [1975] AC 135 Gross v Weston [2007] NSWCA 1 Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Limited (1993) 178 CLR 44 Jameel v Dow Jones [2005] QB 946 Trigell v Pheeney (1951) 82 CLR 497