Giovannetti v State of New South Wales [2013] NSWSC 1960

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Giovannetti v State of New South Wales [2013] NSWSC 1960 Hearing dates: 12 August 2013; 13 August 2013; 14 August 2013 Decision date: 20 December 2013 Before: Simpson J Decision: (i) The Statement of Claim is dismissed; (ii) The plaintiff is to pay the defendant's costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: DEFAMATION - trial by judge alone - publication by email - limited number of recipients - imputations pleaded related to plaintiff's suitability to be a member of the Police and Community Youth Clubs NSW Ltd - imputations conveyed - imputations defamatory - qualified privilege at common law - established - no malice - statutory qualified privilege - established - substantial truth - partially successful - triviality - rejected - republication in good faith - statement of claim dismissed - plaintiff to pay defendant's costs Legislation Cited: Defamation Act 2005 Evidence Act 1995 Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 Cases Cited: Adam v Ward [1917] AC 309 Aktas v Westpac Banking Corporation Ltd [2010] HCA 25; 241 CLR 79 Goyan v Motyka [2008] NSWCA 28; [2008] Aust Torts Reports 81-939 Megna v Marshall [2010] NSWSC 686 Megna v Marshall [2013] NSWCA 30 Skalkos v Assaf [2002] NSWCA 14; [2002] Aust Torts Reports 81-644 Toogood v Spyring (1834) 1 Cr M & R 181; 149 ER 1044 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Benjamin Giovannetti (Plaintiff) State of New South Wales (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: R Rasmussen (Plaintiff) D Caspersonn (Defendant) Solicitors: James Fuggle Rummery (Plaintiff) Henry Davis York (Defendant) File Number(s): 2011/282276