KSMC Holdings Pty Ltd t/as Hubba Bubba Childcare on Haig v Bowden [2020] NSWCA 28

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: KSMC Holdings Pty Ltd t/as Hubba Bubba Childcare on Haig v Bowden [2020] NSWCA 28 Hearing dates: 9 December 2019 Date of orders: 03 March 2020 Decision date: 03 March 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Payne JA at [18]; White JA at [153] Decision: (1) Appeal allowed; (2) Set aside the orders of the primary judge and in lieu thereof order: (a) Statement of claim dismissed; (b) Plaintiff to pay the costs of the defendants. (3) Respondent to pay the costs of the appellants of the appeal. Catchwords: DEFAMATION – defences – common law qualified privilege – whether privileged occasion correctly identified – relevance of privileged occasion – malice

DEFAMATION – remedies – damages – whether manifestly excessive

DEFAMATION – remedies – damages – aggravated damages – where conduct not improper, unjustifiable or lacking in bona fides Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), ss 30, 34, 35 New South Wales, New South Wales Government Gazette, No 55 of 31 May 2019 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 15.21, 15.27 Cases Cited: Adam v Ward [1917] AC 309 Association of Quality Child Care Centres of NSW v Manefield [2012] NSWCA 123 Bashford v Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 366; [2004] HCA 5 Bauer Media Pty Ltd v Wilson (No 2) (2018) 56 VR 674; [2018] VSCA 154 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Cantwell v Sinclair [2011] NSWSC 1244 Clark v Ainsworth (1996) 40 NSWLR 463 Cush v Dillon (2011) 243 CLR 298; [2011] HCA 30 Fraser v Holmes [2009] NSWCA 36 Korean Times Pty Ltd v Un Dok Pak [2011] NSWCA 365 LVMH Watch & Jewellery Australia Pty Ltd v Michael Lassanah & Ors [2011] NSWCA 370 Murray v Raynor [2019] NSWCA 274 Polias v Ryall [2014] NSWSC 1692 R v Crabbe (1985) 156 CLR 464; [1985] HCA 22 Randwick Labor Club v Amalgamated Television Services [2000] NSWSC 906 Roberts v Bass (2002) 212 CLR 1; [2002] HCA 57 Toogood v Spyring (1834) 1 Cr M & R 181 at 193; 149 ER 1044 Triggell v Pheeney (1951) 82 CLR 497; [1951] HCA 23 Uren v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1966) 117 CLR 118; [1966] HCA 40 Texts Cited: M Gillooly, The Law of Defamation in Australia and New Zealand (1998, The Federation Press) T K Tobin, M G Sexton, Australian Defamation Law and Practice (2003, Lexis Nexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: KSMC Holdings Pty Ltd t/as Hubba Bubba Childcare on Haig (First Appellant) Karen Suzanne Marion Chapman (Second Appellant) Matthew Bowden (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: A T S Dawson SC, R H Armitage (Appellants) K Smark SC, G McGrath (Respondent)