Vaa v Barakat [2017] NSWDC 300

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Vaa v Barakat [2017] NSWDC 300 Hearing dates: 17 August 2017; 6 and 7 September 2017; 17 October 2017 Date of orders: 02 November 2017 Decision date: 02 November 2017 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the defendant. (2) Costs reserved. (3) Liberty to restore in relation to costs. (4) Exhibits retained for 28 days. Catchwords: TORT – defamation – plaintiff brings proceedings for publication of a poster on shop premises with her photograph and the word "thief" and for a conversation with a shop worker – whether each of the matters complained of was published – whether the second matter complained of was published to a third party – defences of justification, qualified privilege at common law and honest opinion – damages – method of assessment of claims where aggravated damages are sought – mitigation of damages Legislation Cited: Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 25, 31, 34, 35, 36 and 41 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 135 and 140 Cases Cited: Ainsworth v Burden [2005] NSWCA 174 Al Muderis v Duncan (No 3) [2017] NSWSC 726 Angel v Hawkesbury City Council [2008] NSWCA 130 Attrill v Christie [2007] NSWSC 1386 Beaven v Fink [2009] NSWDC 218 Bennette v Cohen [2009] NSWCA 60 Blacktown City Council v Hocking (2008) Aust Torts Reports ¶81-956 Bristow v Adams [2012] NSWCA 166 Byrne v Deane [1937] 1 KB 818 Cao v Liu [2013] NSWDC 172 Carolan v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 1091 Cerutti v Crestside Pty Ltd [2016] 1 Qd R 89 Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd v Clarke [2013] NSWCA 272 Cripps v Vakras [2015] VSC 193 Dank v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 295 Davis v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 693 Dillon v Boland; Dillon v Cush [2012] NSWCA 364 Dubois v R & V Bergin Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 309 Google Inc v Duffy [2017] SASCFC 130 Hamilton v State of New South Wales (No 3) [2014] NSWSC 1915 Henry v Minett (1910) 13 GLR (NZ) 138 Holt v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (2014) 86 NSWLR 96 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water Corp v Di Masi; Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water Corp v Belbin; Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water Corp v Marciano (2014) 43 VR 348 Marsden v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 510 McGlen-McLeod v Galloway [2012] NSWCA 368 Miller v R [2015] NSWCCA 206 Nichols v J J Newberry Co, 150 F.2d 15 (9th Cir. 1945) Pamplin v Express Newspapers Ltd (No 2) [1988] 1 WLR 116 Photi v Target Australia Pty Ltd [2006] NSWDC 265 Pleau v Simpson-Sears (1977) 15 OR (2d) 436 (CA) QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited v Orcher [2013] NSWCA 478 Rogers v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2003) 216 CLR 327 Rookes v Barnard [1964] AC 1129 Sheales v The Age Co Ltd [2017] VSC 380 Skalkos v Assaf (2002) Aust Torts Reports 81-644 TCN Channel 9 Pty Ltd v Antoniadis (1998) 44 NSWLR 682 Thornton v Telegraph Media Group Ltd [2011] EWHC 1884 (QB) Umeyor v Ibe [2016] EWHC 862 Urbanchich v Drummoyne Municipal Council (1988) A Def R 50-035 Wade v R (2014) 41 VR 13 Webb v Bloch (1928) 41 CLR 331 Wilson v Bauer Media Pty Ltd [2017] VSC 521 Texts Cited: Professor R. E. Brown, Brown on Defamation (Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, United States), Second Edition (formerly The Law of Defamation in Canada) (Carswell) J P Cashen "Defamation Cap Rising Well Above Inflation" (Gazette of Law and Journalism, 10 December 2014) New South Wales Government Gazette No. 56, 26 May 2017, p 1782 R. Parkes QC, A. Mullis, G. Busuttil, A. Speker & A. Scot, Gatley on Libel and Slander (Sweet & Maxwell, United Kingdom, 12th ed. B Shuhyta, "Supermarkets take to posting CCTV images to help identify shoplifters, lawyer warns of defamation risk", ABC News, 20 January 2016 Tobin QC, T. K., Aspects of the Law of Defamation in New South Wales (Law Society of NSW, Sydney 1990) Justice Young, P.W., "Disclosure of Evidentiary Video Tapes in Personal Injury Litigation" (2001) 75(6) ALJ 353 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Lei Vaa Defendant: Tony Barakat Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Mr C J Dibb Defendant: Ms S Chrysanthou