Hang v Nguy (No. 2) [2018] NSWDC 373

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Hang v Nguy (No. 2) [2018] NSWDC 373 Hearing dates: 3 December 2018 Date of orders: 06 December 2018 Decision date: 06 December 2018 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Plaintiff's application to set aside the Notice of Intention to Elect Trial by Jury in Defamation Proceedings filed on 12 September 2018 and to dispense with a jury dismissed. (2) Plaintiff pay defendants' costs, with liberty to apply. Catchwords: TORT – defamation – plaintiff brings proceedings against 18 members of a Buddhist temple organisation for publications in English and traditional Chinese – extent of publication limited – defences include justification, contextual truth and qualified privilege – defendant files Notice of Intention to Elect Trial by Jury – plaintiff brings application pursuant to s 21 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) to dispense with trial by jury – whether factors such as documents in a foreign language, witnesses giving evidence through an interpreter, expert evidence on financial fraud and/or the large number of defendants and of potential witnesses warrant dispensing with trial by jury – application dismissed with costs Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56 – 62 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 192E, 192G and 192H Defamation Act 1974 (NSW), s 7A Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 21, 30 District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 76B Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 86 Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2005 (Vic), r 47.02 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 65A Cases Cited: Ange v Fairfax Media Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 1383 Bond v Barry [2008] FCAFC 115 Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd v Fierravanti-Wells (2011) 81 NSWLR 315 Chel v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] NSWCA 379 David Syme & Co Ltd v Hore-Lacy (2000) 1 VR 667 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Bateman (2015) 90 NSWLR 79 French v The Herald and Weekly Times Pty Ltd [2010] VSC 127 Goldsworthy v Seven Network Limited [2013] NSWSC 344 Kencian v Watney [2015] QCA 212 Mallik v McGeown [2008] NSWSC 129 NRMA Insurance Ltd v Flanagan [1982] 1 NSWLR 585 Pambula District Hospital v Herriman (1988) 14 NSWLR 387 Perera v Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 19 Rayney v Western Australia (No 7) [2016] WASC 288 Setka v Abbott (2014) 44 VR 352 Trantum v McDowell [2007] NSWCA 138 Wagner v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd [2017] QSC 222 Watney v Kencian & Anor [2018] QDC 135 Watney v Kencian & Anor [2018] 1 Qd R 407 Wing v The Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2018] FCA 1340 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Plaintiff: Phu Tho Hang First Defendant: David Nguy Second Defendant: Minh Mai Lam Third Defendant: Lai Van Tran Fourth Defendant: Wai Leung Fong Fifth Defendant: Michael Chen Sixth Defendant: Trung Hong Eighth Defendant: Quang Thanh Dang Ninth Defendant: Sung Boy Heng Tenth Defendant: Fom Sau Tan Eleventh Defendant: Thu Xiem Tran Twelve Defendant: Huynh Tran Thirteenth Defendant: Kien Tran Fifteenth Defendant: Minh Le Lam Sixteenth Defendant: Anna Nguy Seventeenth Defendant: Belinda Lam Eighteenth Defendant: Ly Van (Vicky) Hong Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Ms S Chrysanthou Defendants: Mr C J Dibb