Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Chau Chak Wing

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judgment Date: 02 August 2019
• Neutral Citation: [2019] FCAFC 125
• Date: 02 August 2019
• Court: Full Federal Court (Australia)

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Chau Chak Wing [2019] FCAFC 125

Appeal from:	Wing v The Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2018] FCA 1340
File number:	NSD 1760 of 2018
Judges:	BESANKO, BROMWICH AND WHEELAHAN JJ
Date of judgment:	2 August 2019
Catchwords:	DEFAMATION – pleadings – common law justification – primary judge struck out variant meanings – David Syme & Co Ltd v Hore-Lacy – respondents’ imputations that there were reasonable grounds to believe not permissible variants of the applicant’s imputations – untenable pleading of justification for the purposes of adducing evidence in mitigation of damage disallowed – leave to appeal given – appeal dismissed. ; PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – application for leave to appeal primary judge’s decision to strike out common law justification and statutory truth defences – application for leave to appeal dismissal of application for leave to file amended defence – adequacy of particulars of defences – primary judge held particulars imprecise, embarrassing, conclusory, hearsay, could not support defence of truth – whether the meaning of an applicant’s pleaded imputation is a question of fact for trial – meaning of a pleaded imputation not a triable issue – leave to appeal given – appeal dismissed.
Legislation:	Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Divisions 91 and 92 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), 8, 25, 26, 30, 36 Defamation Act 2005 (Vic), 22 Defamation Act 1974 (NSW), 9, 9(2) Defamation Act 1992 (NZ), 8(2)(a) Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth), 37M, 37N Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth), 16.01(c), 16.02, 16.02(d), 16.03, 16.03(1), 16.06, 16.08, 16.41, 16.42, 16.43, 16.43(2), 39.32 Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules 2015, 64 Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2015, 21.3 National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Act 2018 (Cth) Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987 (Cth), 16(3), 16(3)(a) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), 14.30(2)(a) Supreme Court Rules 2000 (Tas), 263B(2)(a)
Cases cited:	Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd v Philip Morris Inc (1981) 148 CLR 170 Advertiser-News Weekend Publishing Co Ltd v Manock [2005] SASC 82; (2005) 91 SASR 206 Allsop v Church of England Newspaper Ltd [1972] 2 QB 161 Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd v Australian National University [2009] HCA 27; 239 CLR 175 APN New Zealand Ltd v Simunovich Fisheries Ltd [2009] NZSC 93; [2010] 1 NZLR 315 Associated Leisure Ltd v Associated Newspapers Ltd [1970] 2 QB 450 Associated Newspapers Ltd v Dingle [1964] AC 371 Atkinson v Fitzwalter [1987] 1 WLR 201 Barclay v Cox [1968] VR 664 Berezovsky v Forbes Inc [2001] EMLR 45 Broadcasting Corporation of New Zealand v Crush [1988] 2 NZLR 234 Brooks v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 1331 Burstein v Times Newspapers Ltd [2000] EWCA Civ 338; [2001] 1 WLR 579 CAL No 14 Pty Ltd v Motor Accidents Insurance Board [2009] HCA 47; (2009) 239 CLR 390 Chakravarti v Advertiser Newspapers Ltd (1996) 65 SASR 527 Chakravarti v Advertiser Newspapers Ltd [1998] HCA 37; 193 CLR 519 Chalmers v Shackell (1834) 6 Car & P 475; 172 ER 1326 Chamberlain v The Queen (No 2) (1984) 153 CLR 521 Channel Seven Adelaide Pty Ltd v Manock [2007] HCA 60; (2007) 232 CLR 245 Channel Seven Adelaide Pty Ltd v S, DJ [2006] SASC 10; 94 SASR 296 Charan v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2019] VSCA 36 Charleston v News Group Newspapers Ltd [1995] 2 AC 65 Chase v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2002] EWCA Civ 1772; [2003] EMLR 11 Cohen v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1971] 1 NSWLR 623 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Kojic [2016] FCAFC 186; 249 FCR 421 Consolidated Trust Co Ltd v Browne (1948) 49 SR (NSW) 86 Corby v Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 227 Crampton v Nugawela (1996) 41 NSWLR 176 Cruddas v Calvert [2015] EMLR 16 Cunliffe v Woods [2012] VSC 254 Cruise v Express Newspapers plc [1999] QB 931 Dare v Pulham (1982) 148 CLR 658 David Syme & Co Ltd v Hore-Lacy [2000] VSCA 24; 1 VR 667 DDSA Pharmaceuticals Ltd v Times Newspapers Ltd [1973] QB 21 Dhir v Saddler [2017] EWHC 3155 (QB); [2018] 4 WLR 1 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Thomas [2016] VSCA 237; 53 VR 546 Drummoyne Municipal Council v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1990) 21 NSWLR 135 Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Ltd v Kazal (2018) 97 NSWLR 547 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Bateman [2015] NSWCA 154; 90 NSWLR 79 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Gayle [2019] NSWCA 172 Fallon v MGN Ltd [2006] EWHC 783 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 22; 230 CLR 89 Faruqi v Latham [2018] FCA 1328 Favell v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 52; 221 ALR 186 Fenn v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2018] VSCA 166 Flood v Times Newspapers Ltd [2012] UKSC 11; [2012] 2 AC 273 Gacic v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 362 Gallagher v Destiny Publications Pty Ltd (No 2) [2015] WASC 475 George v Rockett (1990) 170 CLR 104 Gerlach v Clifton Bricks Pty Ltd [2002] HCA 22; 209 CLR 478 Greek Herald Pty Ltd v Nikolopoulos (2002) 54 NSWLR 165 Gumina v Williams (No 2) (1990) 3 WAR 351 Gutnick v Dow Jones & Co Inc (No 4) [2004] VSC 138; 9 VR 369 Hadzel v De Waldorf (1970) 16 FLR 174 Harbour Radio Pty Ltd v Trad [2012] HCA 44; 247 CLR 31 Hanson-Young v Leyonhjelm [2018] FCA 1688 Hasler v Singtel Optus Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 266; 87 NSWLR 609 Hicks v Gregory (1904) 6 WALR 100 Hobbs v Tinling (CT) & Co Ltd [1929] 2 KB 1 Hockey v Fairfax Media [2015] FCA 652; 237 FCR 33 Hore-Lacy v Cleary [2007] VSCA 314; 18 VR 562 Hough v London Express Newspaper Ltd [1940] 2 KB 507 Howden v Truth & Sportsman Ltd (1937) 58 CLR 416 Howden v “Truth” and “Sportsman” Ltd (No. 2) (1938) 38 SR (NSW) 287 Hyams v Peterson [1991] 3 NZLR 648 In re the Will of F B Gilbert (Deceased) (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 John Fairfax & Sons Ltd v Foord (1988) 12 NSWLR 706 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Zunter [2006] NSWCA 227 Jones v Pollard [1997] EMLR 233 Jones v Skelton [1963] 1 WLR 1362 Kerney v Optimus Holdings Pty Ltd [1976] VR 399 King v Lintrose Nominees Pty Ltd (2001) 4 VR 619 Kingsfield Holdings Pty Ltd v Sullivan Commercial Pty Ltd [2013] WASC 347 Lewis v Daily Telegraph [1964] AC 234 Lucas-Box v News Group Newspapers Ltd [1986] 1 WLR 147 Mickelberg v Hay [2006] WASC 285 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v Harrison (1982) 149 CLR 293 Moore v Mitchell (1886) 11 OR 420 Morosi v Mirror Newspapers Ltd [1977] 2 NSWLR 749 Nationwide News Pty Limited v Rush [2018] FCAFC 70 Pahuja v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (No 2) [2016] NSWSC 1074 Pamplin v Express Newspapers Ltd [1988] 1 WLR 116 Petritsis v Hellenic Herald Pty Ltd [1978] 2 NSWLR 174 Phelps v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 130 Polly Peck (Holdings) plc v Trelford [1986] QB 1000 Prager v Times Newspapers [1988] 1 WLR 77 Prichard v Krantz (1984) 37 SASR 379 Rakhimov v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2001] NSWSC 10 Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Chesterton [2009] HCA 16; 238 CLR 460 Rofe v Smith’s Newspapers Ltd (1924) 25 SR (NSW) 4 Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2018] FCA 357; 359 ALR 473 ...