Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Vass [2018] NSWCA 259

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Vass [2018] NSWCA 259 Hearing dates: 18 September 2018 Decision date: 08 November 2018 Before: McColl JA at [1]; Basten JA at [120]; Leeming JA at [163] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal. (2) Direct Nationwide News Pty Ltd to file a notice of appeal in the form of the draft in the White Book within 7 days. (3) Dismiss the appeal with costs. Catchwords: DEFAMATION – offers of amends – where defendant made offer of amends pursuant to Pt 3, Div 1 of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) including offer of compensation and stated offer was "open to be accepted until commencement of the trial, unless withdrawn in writing" – where plaintiff made offer of compromise pursuant to Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 20.26, seeking damages in greater amount than compensation in offer of amends – where offer of amends not expressly withdrawn – where plaintiff accepted offer of amends prior to trial – whether offer of compromise constituted rejection of offer of amends – whether offer of amends validly accepted

STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – whether Pt 3, Div 1 of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) departs from the general law of offer and acceptance

STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – whether intersection between statutory schemes established by Pt 3, Div 1 of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) and offer of compromise provisions in UCPR Pt 20, Div 4

WORDS AND PHRASES – "withdrawn" – Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), s 16 Legislation Cited: Civil Law (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT) Defamation Act 1952 (UK) Defamation Act 1974 (NSW) Defamation Act 1996 (UK) Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19; Pt 3, Div 1, Div 2; Pt 4, Div 1 Defamation Act 2005 (Qld) Defamation Act 2005 (SA) Defamation Act 2005 (Tas) Defamation Act 2005 (Vic) Defamation Act 2005 (WA) Defamation Act 2006 (NT) Defamation Amendment Act 2002 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 101 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 20.26 Cases Cited: Abu v MGN Limited [2003] 1 WLR 2201; [2002] EWHC 2345 (QB) Associated Confectionery (Aust) Ltd v Mineral and Chemical Traders Pty Ltd (1991) 25 NSWLR 349 Baker v Taylor (1906) 6 SR (NSW) 500 Ballas v Theophilos (No 2) (1957) 98 CLR 193; [1957] HCA 90 Barrow v Ackland & Gibson [2017] VSC 485 Berowra Holdings Pty Ltd v Gordon (2006) 225 CLR 364; [2006] HCA 32 Brambles Holdings v Bathurst City Council (2001) 53 NSWLR 153; [2001] NSWCA 61 Bushara v Nobananbas Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 63 Calderbank v Calderbank [1976] Fam 93; [1975] 3 WLR 586 Carter v Hyde (1923) 33 CLR 115; [1923] HCA 36 CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384; [1997] HCA 2 Computer Machinery Co Ltd v Drescher [1983] 1 WLR 1379 Cutts v Head [1984] Ch 290 Dean v Stockland Property Management Pty Ltd (No 2) [2010] NSWCA 141 Electrolux Home Products Pty Ltd v Australian Workers' Union (2004) 221 CLR 309; [2004] HCA 40 Gifford v Strang Patrick Stevedoring Pty Ltd (2003) 214 CLR 269; [2003] HCA 33 Hagerty v Hills Central Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 200 Harris v Jenkins [1922] SASR 59 Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (2015) 237 FCR 33; [2015] FCA 652 Hocking v Western Australian Bank (1909) 9 CLR 738; [1909] HCA 68 Hyde v Wrench [1840] 49 ER 132 Khlad v Athanas Bros (Aden) Ltd (1967) 1 BPR 9310 (PC) Livingstone v Evans [1925] 4 DLR 769 Loughton Contracts Plc v Dun & Bradstreet Limited [2006] EWHC 1224 (QB); [2006] All ER (D) 368 Malika Holdings Pty Ltd v Stretton (2001) 204 CLR 290; [2001] HCA 14 Melbourne Corporation v Barry (1922) 31 CLR 174; [1922] HCA 56 Mighty River International Ltd v Hughes; Mighty River International Ltd v Mineral Resources Ltd [2018] HCA 38; (2018) 92 ALJR 822 Milne v Express Newspapers [2005] 1 All ER 1021; [2004] EWCA 664 Mirror Newspapers Limited v Fitzpatrick [1984] 1 NSWLR 643 Moore v Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd [2007] ScotCS CSOH 24 Pingel v Toowoomba Newspapers Pty Ltd [2010] QCA 175 Quadling v Robinson (1976) 137 CLR 192; [1976] HCA 31 Regional Express Holdings Ltd v Australian Federation of Air Pilots [2017] HCA 55; (2017) 92 ALJR 134 Retek Pty Ltd v First Edition Properties Pty Ltd [2003] QSC 007 Ringrow Pty Ltd v BP Australia Pty Ltd (2005) 224 CLR 656; [2005] HCA 71 Sheffield Canal Co v Sheffield and Rotherham Ry Co (1841) Ry & Can Cas 121 Stevenson Jaques & Co v McLean (1880) 5 QBD 346 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] HCA 34; (2017) 91 ALJR 936 Tesco Stores Ltd v Guardian News & Media Ltd [2009] EMLR 5; [2008] EWHC B14 (QB) Transmetro Corp Ltd v Davy and Ors [2005] QCA 239 Trustee for the Salvation Army (NSW) Property Trust t/as Salvation Army v Becker (No 2) [2007] NSWCA 194 Wagner v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd [2018] QSC 201 Warren v The Random House Group Ltd [2007] EWHC 2856 (QB); [2008] 2 WLR 1033 Warren v The Random House Group Ltd [2009] QB 600; [2008] EWCA Civ 834 Whitney v Dream Developments Pty Ltd (2013) 84 NSWLR 311; [2013] NSWCA 188 Zoef v Nationwide Pty Ltd (2016) 92 NSWLR 570; [2016] NSWCA 283 Texts Cited: Carter and Harland, Contract Law in Australia (3rd ed, 1996, Butterworths) Clerk & Lindsell on Torts (19th ed, 2006, Sweet & Maxwell) Collins, "New Defamation Law for the ACT" (2001) 6 Media & Arts Law Review 335 Defamation Law: Proposals for Reform in NSW: Report of Attorney General's Task Force on Defamation Law Reform, (April 2002) England and Wales, Supreme Court Procedure Committee, (July 1991) Mullis and Parkes, Gatley on Libel and Slander (12th ed, 2013, Sweet & Maxwell) New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 13 September 2005 Report of the Law Reform Commission on Defamation New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Report 11, (1971) Second Reading Speech, Defamation Amendment Bill, New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 12 November 2002 Seddon and Ellinghaus, Cheshire and Fifoot's Law of Contract (8th ed, 2002, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Nationwide News Pty Ltd (Appellant) Damien Vass (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: D Sibtain with M Lewis (Appellant) P Gray SC with L Chapman (Respondent)