Dank v Cronulla Sutherland District Rugby League Football Club Ltd [2014] NSWCA 288

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Dank v Cronulla Sutherland District Rugby League Football Club Ltd [2014] NSWCA 288 Hearing dates: 21 July 2014 Decision date: 28 August 2014 Before: Ward JA at [1]; Emmett JA at [149]; Gleeson JA at [158] Decision: 1. Summons for leave to appeal dismissed. 2. Applicant to pay the first and third respondents' costs of the summons for leave on the ordinary basis. 3. Applicant to pay the second respondent's costs of the summons for leave on the indemnity basis. [Note: The Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 provide (Rule 36.11) that unless the Court otherwise orders, a judgment or order is taken to be entered when it is recorded in the Court's computerised court record system. Setting aside and variation of judgments or orders is dealt with by Rules 36.15, 36.16, 36.17 and 36.18. Parties should in particular note the time limit of fourteen days in Rule 36.16.] Catchwords: APPEAL - application for leave to appeal -where primary judge dismissed proceedings against two defendants for not being prosecuted with due despatch - where there had been a failure to bring pleading into good order - whether primary judge erred in deciding that there ought be no further opportunity to remedy the pleading APPEAL - application for leave to appeal - where primary judge struck out claim against one defendant with leave to re-plead for failing to plead a reasonable cause of action against that defendant - where it was alleged the defendant was an original publisher of the whole of the broadcast - whether leave to appeal should be granted where plaintiff had leave to re-plead at first instance PROCEDURE - discovery and interrogatories - interrogatories - application for leave to appeal - where primary judge granted leave to administer interrogatories but not in plaintiff's chosen form and the plaintiff chose not to administer any interrogatories - whether primary judge erred in exercise of discretion such as to warrant appellate intervention Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: ABC v Obeid [2006] NSWCA 231 Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd v Philip Morris Inc [1981] HCA 39; (1981) 148 CLR 170 Barham v Lord Huntingfield [1913] 2 KB 193 Be Financial Pty Ltd as Trustee for Be Financial Operations Trust v Das [2012] NSWCA 164 Birkett v James [1978] AC 297 Carolan v AMF Bowling Pty Ltd t/as Bennetts Green Bowl [1995] NSWCA 69 Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd v Clarke [2013] NSWCA 272 Craftsman Homes Australia Pty Ltd v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 555 Dalgleish v Lowther [1899] 2 QB 590 Dank v Whittaker (No 1) [2013] NSWSC 1062 Dar Al Arken Real Estate Development Co v Al Refai [2013] EWHC 1630 De Jong v State of Victoria (2006) VSC 274 Gordon v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 410 Fish & Fish Ltd v Sea Shepherd UK [2013] EWCA Civ 544 Hall v Swan [2009] NSWCA 371 Harris v Warre (1879) 4 CPD 125 Hobbs v Australian Securities and Investments Commission [2013] NSWCA 432 Hoser v Hartcher [1999] NSWSC 527 House v The King [1936] HCA 40; (1936) 55 CLR 499 Jaycar Pty Ltd v Lombardo [2011] NSWCA 284 Kaiser v George Laurens (NSW) Pty Ltd [1982] 1 NSWLR 294 Micallef v ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 274 Morosi v Broadcasting Station 2GB Pty Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 418 Palace Films Pty Ltd v Fairfax Media Pty Ltd Publications [2010] NSWSC 415 Parkes v Prescott (1869) LR 4 Ex 169 Re Will of Gilbert (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 Saunderson v Von Radeck (1905) 119 LTJ 33 Seary v Molomby (Supreme Court (NSW), Sully J, 23 August 1999, unrep) State of New South Wales v Plaintiff A [2012] NSWCA 248 Thiess v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (No 5) [1994] 1 Qd R 156 Thompson v Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd [1996] HCA 38; (1996) 186 CLR 574 Warragamba Winery Pty Ltd v State of New South Wales [2010] NSWCA 174 Webb v Bloch [1928] HCA 50; (1928) 41 CLR 331 Zelden v Sewell; Henamast Pty Ltd v Sewell [2011] NSWCA 56 Texts Cited: Patrick Milmo and W V H Rogers (joint editors), Gatley on Libel and Slander, (11th ed 2008, Sweet & Maxwell) Professor Alastair Mullis and Richard Parkes QC (joint editors), Gatley on Libel and Slander, (12th ed 2013, Sweet & Maxwell) Thomas Starkie, A Treatise on the Law of Slander and Libel, (2nd ed 1830, J. & W. T. Clarke) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Stephen Dank (Applicant) Cronulla Sutherland District Rugby League Football Club Ltd (First Respondent) Phil Rothfield (Second Respondent) Damien Irvine (Third Respondent) Representation: Counsel: C Evatt with DW Rayment (Applicant) Ms P Wass SC with MJ Lewis (First and Third Respondents) TD Blackburn SC with Ms L Barnett (Second Respondent) Solicitors: Cambridge Law (Applicant) Moray & Agnew (First and Third Respondents) Ashurst Australia (Second Respondent) File Number(s): 2013/00385036 Publication restriction: Nil Decision under appeal Citation: Dank v Cronulla-Sutherland District Rugby League Football Club [2013] NSWSC 1101 Dank v Cronulla-Sutherland District Rugby League Football Club Ltd (No 3) [2013] NSWSC 1850 Before: McCallum J File Number(s): 2013/00092779 2011/00411308