Massarani v Kriz [2020] NSWDC 26

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Massarani v Kriz [2020] NSWDC 26 Hearing dates: 21 November, 5 December 2019; 13 February 2020 Date of orders: 26 February 2020 Decision date: 26 February 2020 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: (1) Pursuant to rr 12.7, 13.4(1)(b) and 14.28 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) and ss 60, 61 and 67 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), the claims against the first defendant and the sixth defendant set out in paragraphs 7 and 9 (the first matter complained of) and paragraphs 10, 12 and 13 (the second matter complained of) in the "Further Amended Statement of Claim" filed on 13 August 2019 are struck out and dismissed, with leave to replead refused. (2) Summons filed on 19 January 2019 struck out and dismissed. (3) Costs reserved. (4) Liberty to apply on seven days' notice. (5) Exhibits retained until further order. Catchwords: TORT – defamation – application for summary dismissal – proceedings for defamation for publication in a July 2015 student newspaper and a 2018 conversation with one person conveying imputations that he seriously sexually harassed women – first and sixth defendants bring applications for summary dismissal pursuant to rr 13.4(1)(b) and 14.28 of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) on the basis of a history of successive hopeless pleadings – first and sixth defendants additionally seek summary dismissal pursuant to UCPR r 12.7 and ss 60, 61 and 67 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), as an abuse of process, on the grounds that the legal costs and court resources required to determine the claim will be out of all proportion to the interest at stake – plaintiff seeks further leave to replead – leave to replead refused – applications for dismissal granted Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 60, 61 and 67 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 6.2, 12.7, 13.4, 14.28 and 28.2 Cases Cited: Armstrong v McIntosh [No 2] [2019] WASC 379 Bleyer v Google Inc (2014) 88 NSWLR 670 Boland v Dillon; Cush v Dillon [2015] NSWCA 183 Budu v The British Broadcasting Corporation [2010] EWHC 616 (QB) Cranbrook School v Stanley [2002] NSWCA 290 Cronau v Nelson [2018] NSWSC 1769 Cush v Dillon; Boland v Dillon (2011) 243 CLR 298 Dennis v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2008] NSWCA 37 Dillon v Cush; Dillon v Boland [2010] NSWCA 165 El-Mouelhy v Qsociety of Australia Inc (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 990 Farrow v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2017) 95 NSWLR 612 Flo Rida (aka Tramar Dillard) v Mothership Music Pty Ltd [2013] NSWCA 268 Flood v Times Newspapers Ltd [2009] EWHC 2375 (QB) Ford v Nagle [2004] NSWCA 33 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 Ghosh v NineMSN Pty Ltd (2015) 90 NSWLR 595 Jones v Sutton [2004] NSWCA 439 Lazarus v Deutsche Lufthansa AG (1985) 1 NSWLR 188 at 192 Loutchansky v The Times Newspapers Ltd [2001] EWCA Civ 1805 MacDonald v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2014] NSWSC 206 Marble v Chapin (1882) 132 Mass 225 Perkins v Floradale Productions Pty Ltd & Ors (District Court of NSW, Walmsley SC DCJ, 28 May 2013) Sims v Jooste (No 2) [2016] WASCA 83 Toomey v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 291 Trantum v McDowell [2007] NSWCA 138 Umeyor v Ibe [2016] EWHC 862 (QB) Wen Yue He v Australian Chinese Publications Pty Ltd [2005] NSWSC 253 Wollongong City Council v Papadopoulos [2019] NSWCA 178 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Plaintiff: Patrick Heydar Massarani First Defendant: Georgia Kriz Sixth Defendant: Ilya Klauzner Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Mr R Glasson First Defendant: Ms L Saunders (Direct access brief) Sixth Defendant: Mr T Senior