Media company Nine, which is facing defamation claims from Ben Roberts-Smith over articles accusing him of war crimes, has asked the court to set aside two subpoenas from the decorated veteran related to a woman who has accused him of domestic violence, arguing the subpoenas act as a substitute for discovery.
Noting that the legal costs of a dispute over whether she could represent federal minister Christian Porter in his defamation case were “substantial”, Sue Chrysanthou SC has asked to see invoices before she agrees to a lump sum bill of $550,000.
Four witnesses who allegedly saw Ben Roberts-Smith kick a handcuffed man off a cliff in Afghanistan will give evidence next week in the war veteran’s defamation trial, which has been disrupted by COVID-19 restrictions in NSW.
Trial in the defamation case by war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith against Nine may face additional delays or be transferred out of Sydney after the NSW Government extended the city’s COVID-19 restrictions by two weeks.
Independent online news outlet First Nations Telegraph has filed defamation proceedings against News Corp’s 24-hour news channel Sky News Australia and Alice Springs deputy mayor Jacinta Price over comments she allegedly made on the controversial TV program Outsiders.
Media companies seeking access to the ABC’s unredacted defence in a now-settled defamation case brought by Christian Porter told a judge the principle of open justice required that the pleading be made public, while the former attorney-general argued there was no “superior” public interest in airing the document.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro will seek to strike out YouTube star Jordan Shanks’ defence to a defamation lawsuit which argues the imputation that the Nationals leader is a “corrupt conman” is substantially true.
Convenience store chain 7-Eleven has succeeded in having Seven Network’s ‘7NOW’ trade mark removed for non-use, with an IP Australia delegate finding links to services on the media company’s website did not amount to use.
Media giant Nine has paid more than $150,000 in fines and will repay subscribers and advertisers $450,000 for allegedly slapping them with excessive payment surcharges on credit card transactions.
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has hit publisher HarperCollins with a defamation lawsuit over a book which allegedly implied the businessman had a corrupt relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.