Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 7)

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Judge: WIGNEY J
• Judgment Date: 11 April 2019
• Neutral Citation: [2019] FCA 496
• Court: Federal Court
• Date: 11 April 2019

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 7) [2019] FCA 496

File number:	NSD 2179 of 2017
Judge:	WIGNEY J
Date of judgment:	11 April 2019
Catchwords:	DEFAMATION – where numerous defamatory imputations alleged – consideration of whether the alleged imputations were conveyed by the publications – consideration of principles of “ordinary reasonable person” and “natural and ordinary” meaning – consideration of whether publications conveyed guilt – consideration of whether publications contained statements as an “antidote” to the “bane” of the defamatory statements – consideration of whether alleged extrinsic facts were matters of general knowledge or notoriety – where defence of justification pleaded by respondents pursuant to s 25 of the Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) – consideration of whether on balance of probabilities the words and “defamatory sting” conveyed by publications were substantially true – where onus of proving pleaded imputations were conveyed by the publications was discharged – where defence of justification failed ; Held: application granted – certain defamatory imputations conveyed by the publication – defence of justification not successful ; DAMAGES – where applicant sought general compensatory damages for non-economic loss – where applicant sought aggravated damages – assessment of general or compensatory damages – consideration of appropriate and rational relationship between harm sustained by applicant from the publications and the amount of damages – where applicant sought special damages for past economic loss and future economic loss as a result of defamatory publications – consideration of what applicant’s future income would have been but for the defamatory publications – consideration of expert evidence – quantification of damages
Legislation:	Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) ss 4, 8, 25, 29, 30, 34, 35, 35(1), 35(2) and 36 Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) ss 44, 69, 102, 135 and 140 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 51A and 52
Cases cited:	Ahmed v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2006] NSWCA 6 Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd v Marsden (1998) 43 NSWLR 158 Andrews v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 225 Arthur Robinson (Grafton) Pty Ltd v Carter (1968) 122 CLR 649 Barrow v Bolt [2013] VSC 226 Baturina v Times Newspapers Ltd [2011] EWCA Civ 308; 1 WLR 1526 Bauer Media Pty Ltd v Wilson (No 2) [2018] VSCA 154 Belbin v Lower Murray Urban and Rural Water Corporation [2012] VSC 535 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Bristow v Adams [2012] NSWCA 166 Broome v Cassell & Co Ltd [1972] AC 1027 Carolan v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 1091 Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44 Chakravarti v Advertiser Newspapers Limited (1998)193 CLR 519 Chalmers v Payne (1835) 2 Cr M & R 156 at 159; (1835) 150 ER 67 Chase v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2002] All ER (D) 20 (Dec); EWCA Civ 1772; [2003] EMLR 218 Chau v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 185 Commercial Union Assurance Co of Australia Ltd v Ferrcom Pty Ltd (1991) 22 NSWLR 389 Corby v Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 227 Coyne v Citizen Finance Limited (1990 – 1991) 172 CLR 211 Crampton v Nugawela (1996) 41 NSWLR 176 Cripps v Vakras [2014] VSC 279 Cross v Queensland Newspapers Pty Limited [2008] NSWCA 80 Drummoyne Municipal Council v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1990) 21 NSWLR 135 Duffy v Google Inc (No 2) [2015] SASC 206 Favell v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd (2005) 221 ALR 186 Fink v Fink (1946) 74 CLR 127 Flegg v Hallett [2015] QSC 167 Flood v Times Newspapers Ltd [2012] 2 AC 273 at [8]; 4 All ER 913 Fox v Boulter [2013] EWHC 1435 (QB) Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118 Habib v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2010) 78 NSWLR 619 Haertsch v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 182 Harbour Radio Pty Ltd v Tingle [2001] NSWCA 194 Herald & Weekly Times Ltd v Popovic (2003) 9 VR 1 Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (2015) 237 FCR 33 Hough v London Express Newspaper, Ltd [1940] 2 KB 507 at 515; [1940] 3 All ER 31 Howden v “Truth” & “Sportsman” Ltd (1937) 58 CLR 416 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v O’Shane (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 291 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Rivkin (2003) 77 ALJR 1657; (2003) 201 ALR 77; [2003] HCA 50 Jones v Skelton [1963] 1 WLR 1362; [1963] 3 All ER 952 Lee v Wilson and MacKinnon (1934) 51 CLR 276 Lewis v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234 Ley v Hamilton (1935) 153 LT 384 Malec v JC Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 638 March v E & MH Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506 Mastronardo v Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd [2018] NSWCA 136 Medlin v State Government Insurance Commission (1994-1995) 182 CLR 1 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v Fitzpatrick [1984] 1 NSWLR 643 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v Harrison (1982) 149 CLR 293 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v World Hosts Pty Ltd (1979) 141 CLR 632 Neat Holdings Pty Ltd v Karajan Holdings Pty Ltd (1992)110 ALR 449 Norris v Blake (No 2) (1997) 41 NSWLR 49 O’Brien v McKean (1968) 118 CLR 540 Pahuja v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd (No 3) [2018] NSWSC 893 Palmer Bruyn & Parker Pty Ltd v Parsons (2001) 208 CLR 388 Palmer v The Queen (1998) 193 CLR 1 Plato Films Ltd v Speidel [1961] AC 1090 Puels v Exelerate Funding Pty Ltd (2005) 214 ALR 616 R v SAB (2008) 20 VR 55 R v Uhrig (unreported, New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal, 24 October 1996) Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Chesterton (2009) 238 CLR 460 Reader’s Digest Services Pty Ltd v Lamb (1982) 150 CLR 500 Rigby v Associated Newspapers Ltd [1969] 1 NSWR 729 Rogers v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2003) 216 CLR 327 Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] FCA 550 Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 4) [2018] FCA 1558 Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 6) [2018] FCA 1851 Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2018] FCA 357 Sands v South Australia (2015) 122 SASR 195 Selecta Homes and Building Co Pty Ltd v Advertiser-News Weekend Publishing Co Pty Ltd (2001) 79 SASR 451 Sims v Wran [1984] 1 NSWLR 317 Slatyer v The Daily Telegraph Newspaper Co Ltd (1908) 6 CLR 1 Slim v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1968] 2 QB 157 Slipper v British Broadcasting Corporation [1991] QB 283 Société d’Avances Commerciales (Société Anonyme Egyptienne) v Merchants’ Marine Insurance Co (The “Palitana”) (1924) 20 Ll L Rep 140 Speight v Gosnay (1891) 60 LJQB 231 Tabet v Gett (2010) 240 CLR 537 Ten Group Pty Ltd v Cornes (2012) 114 SASR 46 The Commonwealth v Amann Aviation Pty Ltd (1991) 174 CLR 64 Toomey v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 291 Triggell v Pheeney (1951) 82 CLR 497 Trkulja v Google LLC (2018) 356 ALR 178 Wagner & Ors v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd & Ors [2018] QSC 201 Waterhouse v Broadcasting Station 2GB Pty Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 58 Wilson v...