Jane Doe v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited & Anor [2018] NSWSC 1996

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Jane Doe v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited & Anor [2018] NSWSC 1996 Hearing dates: 26 February - 1 March 2018 Decision date: 21 December 2018 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Fullerton J Decision: 1. Verdict for the defendants. 2. The plaintiff is to pay the defendants' costs. Catchwords: STATUTORY INTERPRETATION - Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 578A - meaning of the word "likely" - "real and not remote" chance, or more probable than not.

STATUTORY INTERPRETATION - Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 578A - whether mens rea required or whether offence is an offence of strict liability

STATUTORY INTERPRETATION - Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 578A - whether breach of s 578A confers a cause of action for damages for breach of statutory duty - constituent elements of an action for damages for breach of statutory duty - legislative intention to confer private right to sue for damages

EQUITY - claim for equitable compensation for breach of confidence - identification of the confidential information - whether the information had the necessary "quality of confidence" - whether the information was imparted in circumstances importing an obligation of confidence. Legislation Cited: Casino Control Act 1922 (NSW) Children (Care and Protection) Act 1987 (NSW) Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (NSW) Children and Young Persons Act 1989 (Vic) Children's Court of Western Australia Act 1988 (WA) Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Corporations Act 1989 (Cth) Crimes (Personal and Family Violence) Amendment Bill 1987 (NSW) Crimes (Serious Sex Offenders) Act 2006 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Criminal Code Act 1924 (Tas) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Dangerous Goods Regulation 1978 (NSW) Evidence Act 1929 (SA) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Industrial Relations Act 1988 (Cth) Judicial Proceedings Reports Act 1958 (Vic) Liquor Act 1912 (Qld) Overhead Line Construction Maintenance Regulations 1962 (NSW) Scaffolding and Lifts Act 1912 (NSW) Serious Sex Offenders Monitoring Act 2005 (Vic) Strata Titles Act 1973 (NSW) Taxation Administration Act 1963 (Cth) Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) Cases Cited: Alan Belford Jones; Harbour Radio Pty Ltd; Nationwide News Pty Ltd v R [2008] NSWDC 8 Alcoa of Australia Ltd v Apache Energy Ltd [2012] WASC 209 Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd v Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 430; (2012) 295 ALR 348 Attorney General (NSW) v Winters [2007] NSWSC 1071 Attorney General v Greater Manchester Newspapers (Unreported, England & Wales High Court, Queen's Bench Division, Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss P, 4 December 2001) Attorney-General for the State of New South Wales v Winters [2007] NSWSC 1071 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meats Pty Ltd (2001) 208 CLR 199; [2001] HCA 63 Australian Securities Commission v Nomura International PLC (1998) 89 FCR 301 Bailey v Hinch [1989] VR 78 Boughey v R (1986) 161 CLR 10; [1986] HCA 29 Briffett v Crown Prosecution Service [2001] EWHC Admin 841; [2002] EMLR 12 Byrne v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410; [1995] HCA 24 Channel Seven Adelaide Pty Ltd v Stockdale-Hall [2005] SASC 307 Chugg v Pacific Dunlop Limited (1990) 170 CLR 249 Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Zhao (2015) 255 CLR 46; [2015] HCA 5 David Syme & Co v Canavan (1918) 25 CLR 234; [1918] HCA 50 Gardiner v State of Victoria [1999] VSCA 100 Giller v Procopets [2008] VSCA 236; (2008) 24 VR 1 Griffin v Marsh (1994) 34 NSWLR 104 Hawthorne (Department of Health) v Morcam Pty Ltd (1992) 29 NSWLR 120 He Kaw Teh v The Queen (1985) 157 CLR 523 Howe v Harvey (2008) 20 VR 638; [2008] VSCA 181 Jane Doe v Australian Broadcasting Commission [2007] VCC 281 Jane Doe v Fairfax Media Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 1294 JD Bell (Calool) Pty Ltd v Shortland County Council (1991) 74 LGRA 398 Johns v Australian Securities Commission (1993) 178 CLR 408; [1993] HCA 56 King v Goussetis (1986) 5 NSWLR 89 Lubrano v Proprietors of Strata Plan No 4038 (1993) 6 BPR 97 Marshall v Prescott [2015] NSWCA 110 Martin v Western District of Australasian Coal and Shale Employees Federation (1934) 34 SR (NSW) 593 McDonald (t/as BE McDonald Transport) v Girkaid Pty Ltd [2004] NSWCA 297 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v Fitzpatrick [1984] 1 NSWLR 643 Missingham v Shamim [2012] NSWSC 288 Nakhl Nasr v State of New South Wales; George Nasr v State of New South Wales [2007] NSWCA 101 O'Connor v SP Bray Ltd (1937) 56 CLR 464; [1937] HCA 18 O'Riordan v The Director of Public Prosecutions [2005] EWHC 1240 Optus Networks Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation Ltd [2010] FCAFC 21; 265 ALR 28 Preston v Star City Pty Ltd [1999] NSWSC 1273 Proudman v Dayman (1941) 67 CLR 536; [1941] HCA 28 R v Lindsay Ronald Jensen [2007] NSWDC 15 R v Lindsay Ronald Jensen, District Court, Murrell DCJ, 18 December 2006 R v W [1998] 1 NZLR 35 R v West Australian Newspapers Ltd, Ex Parte Keating on behalf of the Attorney-General for Western Australia (Full Court of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, 19 June 1997, unreported) Rinehart v Welker (2011) 93 NSWLR 311; [2011] NSWCA 403 RJE v Secretary to the Department of Justice (2008) 21 VR 526; [2008] VSCA 265 Seiwa Pty Ltd v Owners Strata Plan 35042 [2006] NSWSC 1157 Smith Kline & French Laboratories (Aust) Ltd v Secretary, Department of Community Services and Health (1990) 22 FCR 73 Soutter v P&O Resorts Pty Ltd [1998] QCA 051; [1999] 2 QdR 106 Sovar v Henry Lane Pty Ltd (1967) 116 CLR 397; [1967] HCA 31 Streetscape Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd v City of Sydney [2013] NSWCA 2 Tillman v Attorney General (NSW) (2007) 70 NSWLR 448; [2007] NSWCA 327 Tillmans Butcheries Pty Ltd v Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union (1979) 42 FLR 331 TSL v Secretary to the Department of Justice (2006) 14 VR 109; [2006] VSCA 199 Von Lieven v Stewart (1990) 21 NSWLR 53 Waters v Pacific Publications Pty Ltd [1999] NSWSC 366 Waugh v Kippen (1986) 160 CLR 156 Western Australia v West Australian Newspapers Ltd and Anor; ex parte James Andrew McGinty MLA, Attorney General for Western Australia (2005) 30 WAR 434; [2005] WASCA 161 Whittaker v Rozelle Wood Products Ltd (1936) 36 SR (NSW) 204 X v Bedfordshire County Council [1995] 2 AC 633 XX v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2010] NSWDC 147 Texts Cited: Gatley on Libel and Slander (12th ed, 2013) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jane Doe (Plaintiff) Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (First Defendant) Michael Bachelard (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: K Smark SC / S Chrysanthou (Plaintiff) P Gray SC / L Barnett (Defendants)