Cornwell v Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 255

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Cornwell v Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 255 Hearing dates: 10 August 2016 Decision date: 07 September 2016 Before: McColl JA at [1] Macfarlan JA at [2] Gleeson JA at [3] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal.

(2) Direct the applicant to file a notice of appeal in the form of the draft contained in the White Book within ten (10) days.

(3) Appeal dismissed with costs.

(4) Cross-summons seeking leave to cross-appeal be dismissed with costs. Catchwords: DEFAMATION – defence – contextual truth – Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) s 26 – appeal from primary judge's refusal to strike out contextual imputation "the plaintiff is dishonest" – news item broadcast about plaintiff's links to illegal investment schemes – reference to plaintiff as casualty of ICAC inquiry into Liberal Party finances – whether contextual imputation unarguably bad – whether general contextual imputation carried "in addition to" other specific imputations complained of – whether primary judge misunderstood the effect of Fairfax Media Publications v Zeccola [2015] NSWCA 329 –whether general imputation of dishonesty at least arguably capable of arising

PROCEDURE – judgments and orders – interlocutory judgment – appeal against primary judge's ruling on strike-out application relating to contextual imputation – distinction between strike-out application under UCPR 14.28(1)(a) and determination of a separate question under UCPR r 28.1 – whether correct test applied by primary judge Legislation Cited: Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) ss 25, 26 Defamation Act 1974 (NSW) s 16 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) s 101 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 14.28, 14.31, 14.33 Cases Cited: Abou-Lokmeh v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 228 Bookbinder v Tebit [1989] 1 WLR 64 Corby v Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 227 Corby v Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 308 Cornwell v Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 1673 Dank v Rothfield [2015] NSWCA 193 Dank v Cronulla Sutherland District Rugby Football Club Ltd [2014] NSWCA 288 Fairfax Media Publications v Zeccola [2015] NSWCA 329 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; [1964] HCA 69 Re the Will of Gilbert (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 John Fairfax Publications Pty Limited v Jones [2004] NSWCA 205 Love v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 112 Micallef v ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 274 State of New South Wales v Deren [1999] NSWCA 22 State of New South Wales v Williams [2014] NSWCA 177 Younan v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2013] NSWCA 335 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Andrew Cornwell (Applicant) Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd (First Respondent) Seven Network (Operations) Limited (Second Respondent) Yahoo! Pty Limited (Third Respondent) James Thomas (Fourth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: KP Smark SC/ST Chrysanthou (Applicant) ATS Dawson/M Rabsch (Respondents)