Massoud v Australian Radio Network Pty Limited; Massoud v Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Limited [2019] NSWDC 708

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Massoud v Australian Radio Network Pty Limited; Massoud v Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Limited [2019] NSWDC 708 Hearing dates: 21 November 2019 Date of orders: 28 November 2019 Decision date: 28 November 2019 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Pursuant ss 64(2) and 65(2)(b) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation Pty Limited (ABN 44 000 019 796) be substituted as the defendant in place of Australian Radio Network Pty Limited (ABN 95 065 986 987) in proceedings 2019/133979. (2) Pursuant ss 64(2) and 65(2)(b) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), Nine Digital Pty Limited (ABN 33 077 753 461) be substituted as the defendant in place of Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Limited (ABN 60 122 203 892) in proceedings 2019/134011. (3) Costs reserved. (4) Liberty to apply. (5) Matter stood over to the Defamation List on Thursday 19 March 2020 for further directions consistently with the plaintiff's other defamation proceedings, with liberty to the parties to bring in Short Minutes of Order for an appropriate timetable. Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – application pursuant to ss 64(2) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) to correct a mistake in the name of a party to the proceedings – whether defendant named by mistake – whether the mistake was neither misleading nor such as to cause reasonable doubt as to the identity of the person intended to be made a party – whether discretion should be refused pursuant to ss 56-58 and 65(2)(b) – leave sought to discontinue against the current defendants and to join the named new defendants granted Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56-58, 64 and 65 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), s 14 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), s 14B Cases Cited: Bridge Shipping Pty Ltd v Grand Shipping SA (1991) 173 CLR 231 Environinvest Ltd (recs and mgrs apptd) (in liq) v Former partnership of Webster, White, Gridley, Nairn, Newman, Peters and Miller t/as HLB Mann Judd (Vic Partnership) (2012) 208 FCR 376 Greenwood v Papademetri [2007] NSWCA 221 In the matter of RCG CBD Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 1938 Josh Massoud v Harbour Radio Pty Limited; Josh Massoud v Fox Sports Australia Pty Limited; Josh Massoud v Australian Radio Network Pty Limited; Josh Massoud v Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Limited; Josh Massoud v Nationwide News Pty Limited [2019] NSWDC 403 Mitry v Business Australia Capital Finance Pty Ltd (in liquidation) [2010] NSWCA 360 State of Queensland v JL Holdings Pty Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 146 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Plaintiff: Josh Massoud Defendant in 2019/133979: Australian Radio Network Pty Limited Defendant in 2019/134011: Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Limited Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Mr T Molomby SC / Ms L Goodchild Defendants: Ms L Barnett