Born Brands Pty Ltd v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd (No. 6) [2013] NSWSC 1651

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Born Brands Pty Ltd v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd (No. 6) [2013] NSWSC 1651 Hearing dates: 21-25 October, 28-30 October 2013 Decision date: 12 November 2013 Before: Adamson J Decision: (1) Judgment for the defendants. (2) Subject to any application for a different order being made in writing within 7 days, order the plaintiffs to pay the costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: DEFAMATION- cause of action- corporate plaintiff not established excluded - imputations- whether carried- identity of natural plaintiffs irrelevant to Broadcast- whether defamatory- no injury to plaintiffs' reputation as distinct from goods- defences- justification- truth- evidence of all contextual imputations to be weighed against imputations not proved true- qualified privilege- when available to mass media- damages- special damages- whether attributable to matter complained of

EVIDENCE- findings as to credit- witness advocate for own cause

TORTS- injurious falsehood- relevant counterfactual to assess damages

WORDS AND PHRASES- meaning of 'falsely'- synonymous with 'incorrectly' Legislation Cited: Defamation Act 1974 Defamation Act 2005, s 8, s 9, s 9(2), s 9(2)(b), s 9(3), s 25, s 26, s 35, s 36 Evidence Act 1995, s 79 Cases Cited: Adam v Ward [1917] AC 309 Amalgamated Television Services v Marsden (1998) 43 NSWLR 158 Associated Newspapers Limited v Dingle [1964] AC 371 Attrill v Christie [2007] NSWSC 1386 Bashford v Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 5; 218 CLR 366 Born Brands Pty Limited v Nine Network Australia Pty Limited (No. 4) [2013] NSWSC 1649 Born Brands Pty Limited v Nine Network Australia Pty Limited (No. 5) [2013] NSWSC 1650 Bowin Designs Pty Limited v Australian Consumers Association [1996] FCA 1070 Chappell v Mirror Newspapers Limited (Unreported, Court of Appeal, 14 June 1984) Chakravarti v Advertiser Newspapers Limited [1998] HCA 37; 193 CLR 519 Clark v Molyneux (1877) 3 QBD 237 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited v Kermode [2011] NSWCA 174; 81 NSWLR 157 Gates v City Mutual Life Assurance Society Limited [1986] HCA 3; 160 CLR 1 Greek Herald Pty Limited v Nikolopoulos [2002] NSWCA 41; 54 NSWLR 165 Heartcheck Australia Pty Limited v Channel 7 Sydney Pty Limited [2007] NSWSC 555 Hepburn v TCN Channel Nine Pty Limited [1984] 1 NSWLR 386 Horrocks v Lowe [1975] AC 135 John Fairfax Publications Pty Limited v Blake [2001] NSWCA 434; 53 NSWLR 541 Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [1997] HCA 25; 189 CLR 520 McCormick v John Fairfax & Sons Limited (1989) 16 NSWLR 485 McMahon v John Fairfax Publications Pty Limited (No. 6) [2012] NSWSC 224 Mizikovsky v Queensland Television Limited [2013] QCA 68 Orion Pet Products Pty Limited v Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Vic) [2002] FCA 860; 120 FCR 191 Palmer Bruyn & Parker Pty Limited v Parsons [2001] HCA 69; 208 CLR 388 Pamplin v Express Newspapers Ltd (No. 2) [1988] 1 WLR 116 Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Limited v Chesterton [2009] HCA 16; 238 CLR 460 Redeemer Baptist School Limited v Glossop [2006] NSWSC 1201 Roberts v Bass [2002] HCA 57; 212 CLR 1 Stephens v West Australian Newspapers Limited [1994] HCA 45; 182 CLR 211 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Born Brands Pty Ltd (First Plaintiff) Hayley Birtles-Eades (Second Plaintiff) Sally Birtles (Third Plaintiff) Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Gabriella Rogers (Second Defendant) Georgie Gardener (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: CA Evatt and RKM Rasmussen (Plaintiffs) TD Blackburn SC and ATS Dawson (Defendants) Solicitors: Beazley Singleton Lawyers (Plaintiffs) Johnson Winter and Slattery (Defendants) File Number(s): 2011/115199 Publication restriction: Nil