Bateman v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 6) [2015] NSWSC 890

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Bateman v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 6) [2015] NSWSC 890 Hearing dates: 25 June 2015 Date of orders: 26 June 2015 Decision date: 26 June 2015 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: McCallum J Decision: Rulings on interrogatories Catchwords: DEFAMATION – procedure – interrogatories – application of Practice Note (SC CL 4) – whether interrogatories necessary for the resolution of the real issues in dispute in the proceedings – interrogatories in the form approved in Assaf v Skalkos where identification of plaintiff not in issue – necessity to prevent surprise to counsel at trial not sufficient to meet test of necessity in practice note and UCPR Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 22.1 Cases Cited: Assaf v Skalkos (Supreme Court (NSW), Hunt CJ at CL, 9 August 1995, unrep) Robert Jones Investments Ltd v Australian Stock Exchange (Supreme Court (NSW), Hunt J, 5 October 1990, unrep) 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) Natasha Wallace (third defendant) Vanda Carson (fourth defendant) Representation: Counsel: S Chrysanthou (plaintiffs) T Blackburn SC (defendants)