Allen v Lloyd-Jones (No. 6) [2014] NSWDC 40

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Allen v Lloyd-Jones (No. 6) [2014] NSWDC 40 Hearing dates: 3, 4, 5 March 2014; submissions 11 March 2014 Decision date: 17 April 2014 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the plaintiff in the sum of $6,000. (2) Liberty to apply in relation to interest and costs. (3) Exhibits retained for 28 days. Catchwords: TORT - defamation - letter to NSW Premier conveying four imputations of bullying conduct - plaintiff awarded $65,000 for publications to a committee and two media organisations - damages for publication to committee and justification findings (for two of the four imputations only) set aside on appeal - proceedings remitted for partial rehearing - fresh evidence by plaintiff as to circumstances of publication - defendant succeeds in proving substantial truth defence to two remaining imputations at retrial DAMAGES - limited publication - mitigating effect of partial justification plea - whether derisory damages should be awarded - impact of apology made in court - whether aggravated damages available - impact of s 25 defence and abandoned contextual truth defence - failure to apologise in response to request in concerns notice - damages of $6,000 awarded - claim for aggravated damages refused Legislation Cited: Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 25, 26, 35 and 36 Cases Cited: Ali v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 183 Associated Newspapers Ltd v Dingle [1962] 2 All ER 737 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v McBride (2001) 53 NSWLR 430 Bailey v Truth and Sportsman Ltd (1938) 60 CLR 700 Bass v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 335 Beaven v Fink [2009] NSWDC 218 Besser v Kermode [2011] NSWCA 174 Bristow v Adams [2012] NSWCA 166 Burstein v Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] 1 WLR 579 Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd (1992 - 3) 178 CLR 44 Cerutti v Crestside Pty Ltd [2014] QCA 33 Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd v Mahommed (2010) 278 ALR 232 Cross v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 80 Dering v Uris [1964] 2 QB 669 Ell v Milne (No 8) [2014] NSWSC 175 Fidelitas Shipping Co Ltd v Exportchleb [1966] 1 QB 630 Fink v Beaven [2010] NSWCA 92 Habib v Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 231 Harbour Radio Pty Ltd v Trad (2012) 292 ALR 192 Hallam v Ross (No 2) [2012] QSC 407 Herald v Weekly Times Ltd v Popovic (2003) 9 VR 1 Holt v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 770 Holt v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 90 Howden v Truth & Sportsman Limited (1937) 58 CLR 416 Hyhonie Holdings Pty Ltd v Leroy [2004] NSWCA 72 Jameel v Dow-Jones Inc [2005] QB 946 Jones v Sutton (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 203 Kelly v Sherlock (1866) LR 1 QB 686 Li v Herald and Weekly Times Pty Ltd [2007] VSC 109 Lloyd-Jones v Allen [2012] NSWCA 230 Lloyd-Jones v Allen (No 2) [2012] NSWCA 315 Lloyd-Jones v Allen [2013] HCATrans 66 Mahommed v Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 631 Middendorp Electric Co Pty Ltd v Sonneveld [2001] VSC 312 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v Fitzpatrick [1984] 1 NSWLR 643 Newsgroup Newspapers Ltd & Anor v Campbell [2002] EWCA Civ 1143 Pamplin v Express Newspapers Ltd (No. 2) [1988] 1 All ER 282 Polly Peck (Holdings) Plc v Trelford [1986] QB 1000 Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Chesterton (2009) 238 CLR 460 Shepherd v Walsh [2001] QSC 358 Thoday v Thoday [1964] P 181 Tiufino v Warland (2000) 50 NSWLR 104 Trad v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd (No 2) [2013] NSWCA 477 Triggell v Pheeney (1951) 82 CLR 497 Texts Cited: Brown on Defamation, 2d (Thomson Reuters) Tobin & Sexton, Australian Defamation Law & Practice (LexisNexis) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Anthony James Allen Defendant: Laurel Clare Lloyd-Jones Representation: Plaintiff: Mr B A M Connell / Ms A R Power Defendant: Mr C A Evatt Plaintiff: Andrew Warren & Associates Defendant: Carters Law Firm File Number(s): 2009/334582 Publication restriction: None