Bateman v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 4) [2015] NSWSC 610

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Bateman v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 4) [2015] NSWSC 610 Hearing dates: 1 May, 6 May, 15 May 2015 Date of orders: 26 May 2015 Decision date: 26 May 2015 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: McCallum J Decision: Publication of reserved reasons for various rulings Catchwords: DEFAMATION – pleadings – application by plaintiff to amend claim against a source quoted in a newspaper article – where action based on original interview statute-barred – whether amendment to plead original interview based on the same facts as existing pleading – whether arguable that the source is liable for the whole article

DEFAMATION – defences – contextual truth – whether defendants should be allowed to amend to plead new contextual imputation – whether capable of arising Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 64(1)(a), 65(2)(c), 65(3) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), s 14B Cases Cited: Bracks v Denoon (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Nicholas J, 14 December 2006, unreported) Bracks v Smyth-Kirk [2009] NSWCA 401 Dank v Cronulla-Sutherland District Rugby League Football Club [2013] NSWSC 1101 Dank v Cronulla-Sutherland District Rugby League Football Club [2014] NSWCA 288 Linnell v Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 20 Rossen v Airey [2012] WASCA 26 Webb v Bloch (1928) 41 CLR 331 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Edmund Thomas Gregory Bateman (First Plaintiff) Idameneo (No 123) Pty Limited (Second Plaintiff) Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (First Defendant) Fairfax Digital Australia &New Zealand Pty Limited (Second Defendant) Natashia Wallace (Third Defendant) Vanda Carson (Fourth Defendant) Jeremy Cumpston (Fifth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: S Chrysanthou (plaintiffs) ATS Dawson (defendants)