Cowper v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited [2015] NSWSC 1000

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Cowper v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited [2015] NSWSC 1000 Hearing dates: 22 July 2015 Date of orders: 22 July 2015 Decision date: 22 July 2015 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: McCallum J Decision: Rulings on imputations Catchwords: DEFAMATION – pleadings – reliance on republication going to damages – whether fact of republication available as a matter of inference

DEFAMATION – pleadings – imputations – capacity – requirement of precision in pleading – requirement of imputations to differ in substance Cases Cited: Bleyer v Google Inc [2014] NSWSC 897 Christiansen v Fairfax Media Publications [2012] NSWSC 1258 Dank v Whittaker (No 1) [2013] NSWSC 1062 Lewis v The Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234 McCormick v John Fairfax and Sons (1989) 16 NSWLR 485 Palmer Bruyn & Parker Pty Ltd v Parsons [2000] NSWCA 53 Palmer-Bruyn and Parker Pty Ltd v Parsons [2001] HCA 69, 208 CLR 388 Webb v Bloch [1928] HCA 50; 41 CLR 331 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Graeme Cowper (Plaintiff) Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (First Defendant) The Age Company Limited (Second Defendant) Adele Ferguson (Third Defendant) Ruth Williams (Fourth Defendant) Jeff Morris (Fifth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: K Smark SC with ST Chrysanthou (Plaintiff) ATS Dawson (Defendants)