Barrett v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 304

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Barrett v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 304 Hearing dates: 5 April 2017 Decision date: 28 November 2017 Before: McColl JA at [1], Simpson JA at [108], Payne JA at [109] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal;

(2) Direct the appellant to file a notice of appeal in the form of the draft within the White Book within seven days;

(3) Dismiss the appeal with costs. Catchwords: LIMITATION OF ACTIONS – defamation – extension of limitation period – application for extension of one year limitation period pursuant to s 56A, Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) – where appellant established not reasonable test – where primary judge granted extension limited to period after the expiry of the limitation period within which it was not reasonable for appellant to have commenced proceedings – whether mandatory to extend limitation period to date appellant filed statement of claim STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), s 14B, s 56A – whether discretion as to date to which limitation period should be extended – nature of the discretion WORDS & PHRASES – "up to" Legislation Cited: Civil Law (Wrongs) Amendment Bill 2005 (No 2) Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) Defamation Act 2005 (TAS) Defamation Act 2005 (Vic) Defamation Amendment Act 2002 (NSW) Defamation Amendment Bill 2002 Defamation Bill 2005 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) Limitation (Amendment) Act 1998 (ACT) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) Limitation Act 1981 (NT) Limitation Act 1985 (ACT) Limitation Act 2005 (WA) Limitation of Actions Act 1936 (SA) Limitation of Actions Act 1958 (Vic) Limitation of Actions Act 1974 (Qld) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) Cases Cited: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Air New Zealand Ltd (No 1) (2012) 207 FCR 448; [2012] FCA 1355 Australian Securities Commission v Marlborough Gold Mines Ltd (1993) 177 CLR 485; [1993] HCA 15 Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996) 186 CLR 541; [1996] HCA 25 Bull v Attorney-General (NSW) (1913) 17 CLR 370; [1913] HCA 60 CAL No 14 Pty Ltd v Motor Accidents Insurance Board; CAL No 14 Pty Ltd v Scott (2009) 239 CLR 390; [2009] HCA 47 Carey v Australian Broadcasting Corp (2012) 84 NSWLR 90; [2012] NSWCA 176 Casley v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2013) 39 VR 526; [2013] VSCA 182 Casley v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2013] VSC 251 Cave v Robinson Jarvis & Rolf [2002] 2 All ER 641; [2002] UKHL 18 CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384; [1997] HCA 2 Cooper Brookes (Wollongong) Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1981) 147 CLR 297; [1981] HCA 26 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Thomas (2016) 315 FLR 31; [2016] VSCA 237 Director of Public Prosecutions v George (2008) 102 SASR 246; [2008] SASC 330 Donovan v Gwentoys Ltd [1990] 1 WLR 472; 1 All ER 1018 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Kermode (2011) 81 NSWLR 157; [2011] NSWCA 174 Farah Constructions v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89; [2007] HCA 22 Ghosh v Ninemsn Pty Ltd (2015) 90 NSWLR 595; [2015] NSWCA 334 Hall v Jones (1942) 42 SR (NSW) 203 Houda v New South Wales [2012] NSWSC 1036 In re Davis (1947) 75 CLR 409; [1947] HCA 53 IW v City of Perth (1997) 191 CLR 1; [1997] HCA 30 Jamieson v Chiropractic Board of Australia [2011] QCA 56 Johnston v Holland (No 2) [2017] VSC 597 M38/2002 v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs (2003) 131 FCR 146; [2003] FCAFC 131 Macatangay v New South Wales (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 272 Metropolitan Coal Co of Sydney Ltd v Australian Coal and Shale Employees' Federation (1917) 24 CLR 85; [1917] HCA 64 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v Kumar (2017) 91 ALJR 466; [2017] HCA 11 Noonan v MacLennan [2010] Qd R 537; [2010] QCA 50 O'Sullivan v Farrer (1989) 168 CLR 210; [1989] HCA 61 Oshlack v Richmond River Council (1998) 193 CLR 72; [1998] HCA 11 Pingel v Toowoomba Newspapers Pty Ltd [2010] QCA 175 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 Public Transport Commission v J Murray-More (NSW) Pty Ltd (1975) 132 CLR 336; [1975] HCA 28 Rayney v State of Western Australia (No 3) [2010] WASC 83 Re Rouss (1917) 116 NE 782 Riske v Oxley Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 1611 Ritson v Gay and Lesbian Community Publishing Ltd [2012] NSWSC 483 Saraswati v R (1991) 172 CLR 1; [1991] HCA 21 Sola Optical Australia Pty Ltd v Mills (1987) 163 CLR 628; [1987] HCA 57 State of Queensland v O'Keefe [2016] QCA 135 State of Queensland v Stephenson (2006) 226 CLR 197; [2006] HCA 20 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection; SZTGM v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) 91 ALJR 936; [2017] HCA 34 Western Australian Planning Commission v Southregal Pty Ltd (2017) 259 CLR 106; [2017] HCA 7 Zhao and Jin v Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (2014) 43 VR 187; [2014] VSCA 137 Texts Cited: Civil Law (Wrongs) Amendment Bill 2005 (No 2), Second Reading Speech, Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 15 December 2005 Defamation Amendment Bill 2002, Second Reading Speech, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 12 November 2002 Defamation Bill 2005, Second Reading Speech, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 13 September 2005 Defamation Bill 2005, Second Reading Speech, Queensland Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 25 October 2005 Defamation Bill 2005, Second Reading Speech, South Australian House of Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 2 March 2005 Defamation Bill 2005, Second Reading Speech, Victorian Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 7 September 2005 Defamation Bill 2006, Second Reading Speech, Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Record No 5 (Hansard) Volume LXXVI, 22 February 2006 Explanatory Note to the Model Defamation Provisions Model Defamation Provisions Category: Principal judgment Parties: Luke Barrett (Applicant) TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T Molomby SC and L Goodchild (Applicant) B McClintock SC and M Richardson (Respondent)