Liu v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 1352

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Liu v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 1352 Hearing dates: 22 October 2012 Decision date: 09 November 2012 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Beech-Jones J Decision: Appeal allowed in part. Catchwords: APPEAL - interlocutory decision of Associate Judge - practice and procedure - defamation - production of evidence of settlement negotiations - scope of statutory exclusion in s 131(1) of the Evidence Act - whether restricted to excluding admissions - scope of s 131(5)(b) of the Evidence Act - whether negotiations concern criminal proceedings - whether negotiations affect the right of a person - scope of s 131(2)(i) of the Evidence Act. Legislation Cited: - Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) - s 93A, s 93AA - Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) - s 1041E, s 1041G - Defamation Act 2005 - s 25 - Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983 (Cth) - Evidence Act 1995 - s 121(3), s 131, s 131A - Trade Practices Act 1975 (Cth) - s 52 - Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 - r 21(2)(a) Cases Cited: - Airtourer Co-operative Ltd v Millicer Aircraft Industries Pty Ltd [2004] FCA 948 - Alexander v Australian Community Pharmacy Authority (No 2) [2010] FCA 467 - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Allphones Retail Pty Ltd (No 3) [2009] FCA 1075; 259 ALR 541 - Aytugrul v R [2012] HCA 15; 86 ALJR 474 - Biovision 2020 Pty Ltd v CGU Insurance Ltd [2010] VSC 589 - Bradford v Bingley plc v Rashid [2006] 1 WLR 2066; 4 All ER 705 - Brown v Federal Commission of Taxation [2002] FCA 318; 119 FCR 269 - Carbotech-Australia Pty Ltd v Yates [2008] NSWSC 540 - CJ Redman Constructions Pty Ltd v Tarnap Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 173 - Collins Thomson Pty Ltd (in liq) v Clayton [2002] NSWSC 366 - Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Propend Finance Pty Ltd [1997] HCA 3; 188 CLR 501 - Cornwell v R [2007] HCA 12; 231 CLR 260 - Em v R [2007] HCA 46; 232 CLR 67 - Evans v R [2007] HCA 59; 235 CLR 521 - Field v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) [1957] HCA 92; 99 CLR 285 - First Capital Partners Pty Ltd v Sylvatech Ltd [2004] NSWSC 846; 186 FLR 266 - GPI Leisure Corp Ltd (in liq) v Yuill (1997) 42 NSWLR 225 - Green v AMP Life Ltd [2005] NSWSC 95 - Komatsu Marketing Support Australia Pty Ltd v Marsh Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 163 - Lawcover Pty Limited v The Commissioner of Police for New South Wales [1997] NSWSC 590 - Liu v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 900 - Moran v Moran (No 3) [2000] NSWSC 151; Aust Torts Reports 81-556 - Muller v Linsley [1996] PNLR 74 - Ofulue v Bossert [2009] 2 WLR 749; 3 All ER 93 - Quad Consulting Pty Ltd v David R Bleakley & Associates Pty Ltd (1990) 27 FCR 86 - R v Shawn Darrell Richard [2011] NSWSC 866 - Ryder v Frohlich [2006] NSWSC 1324 - Silver Fox Co Pty Ltd v Lenard's Pty Ltd (No 3) [2004] FCA 1570; 214 ALR 621 - Talbot v NRMA Ltd [2000] NSWSC 602 - Yokogawa Australia Pty Ltd v Alstom Power Ltd [2009] SASC 377; 262 ALR 738 Category: Interlocutory applications Parties: Eugene Liu (Plaintiff) Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M.F. Richardson (Plaintiff) T.D. Blackburn SC (Defendant) Solicitors: Kennedys (Australasia) Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Johnson Winter & Slattery (Defendant) File Number(s): 2010/350215