Ghosh v NineMSN Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 334

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Ghosh v NineMSN Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 334 Hearing dates: 8 September 2015 Decision date: 29 October 2015 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [55]; Adamson J at [56] Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs. Catchwords: TORTS – defamation – appeal against dismissal of proceedings for want of due despatch and proportionality – plaintiff failed to properly plead her claim and to respond to requests for particulars – appeal dismissed

PROCEDURE – dismissal of defamation proceedings – appeal from District Court decision – whether primary judge erred in dismissing proceedings for want of due despatch under Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 12.7 – whether primary judge erred in finding that plaintiff's conduct of the litigation was an abuse of process – appeal dismissed Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 57, 59, 60, 91 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), s 23 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), ss 14B, 56A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 12.7 Cases Cited: Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd v Phillip Morris Inc [1981] HCA 39; 148 CLR 170 Al-Shennag v Woodcock [2013] NSWSC 696 Batistatos v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales [2006] HCA 27; 226 CLR 256 Bleyer v Google Inc [2014] NSWSC 897 Ghosh v NineMSN Pty Ltd [2013] NSWDC 63 Ghosh v Ninemsn Pty Ltd (No 2) [2013] NSWDC 145 Ghosh v NineMSN Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 180 Ghosh v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (No 4) [2014] NSWDC 151 House v The King [1936] HCA 40; 55 CLR 499 Micallef v ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 274 Re the Will of Gilbert (1946) 46 SR NSW 318 Singer v Berghouse [1994] HCA 40; 181 CLR 201 Stollznow v Calvert [1980] 2 NSWLR 749 Templar v Britton (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 587 Witten v Lombard Australia Ltd [1968] 2 NSWLR 529; 88 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 405 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Dr Ratna Ghosh (Appellant) NineMSN Pty Limited (First Respondent) NBN Limited (Second Respondent) Katie Gregory (Third Respondent) TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (Fourth Respondent) Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd (Fifth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: R Rasmussen (Appellant) A T S Dawson/L E Barnett (Respondent)