Gross v Weston & Anor [2007] NSWCA 1

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Gross v Weston & Anor [2007] NSWCA 1 Hearing dates: 1 September 2006 Decision date: 08 January 2007 Before: Handley JA at [1]; McColl JA at [2]; Hunt AJA at [3] Decision: 1. The appeal is dismissed ; 2. Each party is to pay her and its own costs. Catchwords: Defamation — qualified privilege — Reply alleging improper motive — content of such Reply — particulars to be supplied — relevance of falsity of defendant's evidence in s7A hearing. Legislation Cited: Defamation Act 1974 Cases Cited: Adam v Ward [1917] AC 309 Ainsworth v Burden [2005] NSWCA 174 Bailey v FCT (1977) 136 CLR 214 Barrett v Long (1851) 3 HLC 395 [10 ER 154] Bass v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (2003) 60 NSWLR 251 Bass v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [No 2] [2006] NSWCA 343 Bellino v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1995) 185 CLR 183 Calwell v Ipec Australia Ltd (1975) 135 CLR 321 Commercial Bank of Australia Ltd v Thomson (1964) 81 WN (NSW) 553 Dare v Pulham (1982) 148 CLR 658 Dobson v Morris (1975) 4 NSWLR 681 Eade v The King (1924) 34 CLR 154 Edgington v Fitzmaurice (1885) 29 Ch D 459 El-Azzi v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2004] NSWSC 1057 Emmerton v University of Sydney [1970] 2 NSWR 633 Gross v Weston & Anor, Court of Appeal, 13 December 2005, unreported Herald and Weekly Times Ltd v McGregor (1928) 41 CLR 254 Hobbs v CT Tinling & Co Ltd [1929] 2 KB 1 Kelly v Kelly (1950) 50 SR (NSW) 261 Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520 Laughton v Bishop of Sodor and Man (1872) LR 4 PC 495 Leotta v Public Transport Commission of NSW (1976) 9 ALR 437 Lloyd v Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Co Ltd [1914] AC 733 Mowlds v Ferguson (1939) 40 SR (NSW) 311 Mummery v Irvings Pty Ltd (1956) 96 CLR 99 Nevill v Fine Arts and General Insurance Co Ltd [1895] 2 QB 156 Nominal Defendant v Haslbauer (1967) 117 CLR 448 Philliponi v Leithead (1959) 59 SR (NSW) 353 Re Grove; Vaucher v Treasury Solicitor (1888) 40 Ch D 216 Regina v Beserick (1993) 30 NSWLR 510 Regina v Difford & Stokes (1990) 51 A Crim R 25 Rex v Associated Northern Collieries (1910) 11 CLR 738 Roberts v Bass (2002) 212 CLR 1 Scott Fell v Lloyd (1911) 13 CLR 230 Simpson v Robinson (1848) 12 QB 511 [116 ER 959] Spill v Maule (1872) LR 4 PC 495 Steinberg v FCT (1975) 134 CLR 640 Thomas v The Queen (1960) 102 CLR 584 Tripodi v The Queen (1961) 104 CLR 1 Turner v Dalgety & Co Ltd (1952) 69 WN (NSW) 228 Vlasic v Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd (1976) 9 ACTR 1 Walton v The Queen (1989) 166 CLR 283 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ernestine Gross (Plaintiff/Appellant) Rae Weston & Macquarie University (Defendants/Respondents) Representation: Counsel: Appellant: T Molomby SC/ RK Rasmussen Respondent: TD Blackburn SC/ DR Sibtain TD Blackburn SC & DR Sibtain (instructed by Sparke Helmore, Sydney) for the defendants/respondents