PrivacyCopyright and Disclaimer SitemapFeedbackHelpSearch
Home
About Us
Recent News
Current Projects
Publications - Active
Digest
Contribute to Law Reform
Law Reform Links
Contact Us
Where am I now? Lawlink > Law Reform Commission > Publications > Report 75 (1995) - Defamation

Report 75 (1995) - Defamation


Table of Contents

Terms of reference

Participants

Executive summary

List of recommendations

1. INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

THE COURSE OF THE REFERENCE

DEVELOPMENTS DURING THE COURSE OF THE REFERENCE

COMMENT ON THE TERMS OF REFERENCE

Uniformity

The Defamation Bill

Empirical research

Privacy

Shield laws

2. OBJECTIVES AND CONTEXT OF DEFAMATION LAW

THE PROTECTION OF REPUTATION

The meaning of reputation

How reputations should be vindicated

      A new cause of action

      Remedial consequences

      Damages

      The declaration of falsity

      Relationship between damages and the declaration of falsity

      Economic loss

      Weakening the hold of damages on defamation law

      Reform of aspects of the law of damages in defamation cases

THE CONTEXT OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH

DEFAMATION AND PRIVACY

3. JUDGE AND JURY

EVALUATING THE ROLE OF THE JURY

THE ISSUES IN AN ACTION FOR DAMAGES

Assessing what is defamatory

      Falsity

      Public interest

      Issues concerning publication

      Defences

      Damages

PROCEDURAL CONSIDERATIONS

THE POSITION IN THE DISTRICT COURT

4. THE CAUSE OF ACTION

IMPUTATIONS

FALSITY

The role of falsity in the law of defamation

Privacy protection

The incidence of the burden of proof

The onus in particular contexts

      Imputations which are not statements of fact

      Contextual truth

5. THE PUBLIC FIGURE TEST

THE PUBLIC FIGURE TEST AFTER THEOPHANOUS

THE PROBLEMS WITH THE PUBLIC FIGURE TEST

Complex categories of plaintiffs

Difficulty and expense of litigating “fault”

Need to overrule journalists’ privilege

Excessive damage awards resulting from juries’ focus on media fault

High incidence of successful appeals by defendants

Tendency to promote unsatisfactory regulatory standard

No resolution of issue of truth

Summary

6. REMEDIES OTHER THAN DAMAGES

THE DECLARATION OF FALSITY

The rationale of the declaration of falsity

The relationship between the declaration of falsity and damages

Factual imputations

The court's discretion

No affirmative defences

      Absolute privilege

      Protected reports and court or official notices

      Inapplicable defences

Speed

Procedure

The publication of the declaration of falsity

Costs

Economic loss

The declaration of falsity and the constitutional implication of freedom of political discussion

OTHER REMEDIES

Injunctions

Account of profits

7. ASPECTS OF DAMAGES

COMPARISON WITH AWARDS IN PERSONAL INJURY CASES

CAPPING DAMAGES

THE EFFECT OF FALSITY ON DAMAGES

AGGRAVATED DAMAGES

INTEREST ON DAMAGES

8. REQUESTED CORRECTIONS AS A DEFENCE

Procedure

Promptness of the correction

Adequacy of the correction

      Placement of the correction

      Content of the correction

Using requested corrections as a defence

Costs issues

Recovery of damages for economic loss

OFFER OF AMENDS

9. INNOCENT DISSEMINATION

10. QUALIFIED PRIVILEGE AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEFENCE

COMMON LAW QUALIFIED PRIVILEGE

SECTION 22 OF THE DEFAMATION ACT 1974 (NSW)

THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEFENCE

EVALUATION OF COMMON LAW QUALIFIED PRIVILEGE, SECTION 22 AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEFENCE

REVELATION OF SOURCES

11. ABSOLUTE PRIVILEGE

LEGISLATIVE PRACTICE AND POLICY

COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING MATTERS OF STATE

PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT

Extent of parliamentary privilege

      Meaning of “proceedings in Parliament”

      Provisions of the draft Defamation Bill 1992

      Meaning of “impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament”

      Statutory definition

Parliamentary papers and proceedings legislation

Right of reply

JUDICIAL OR QUASI-JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS

EXTENSIONS OF ABSOLUTE PRIVILEGE

Local government proceedings

IDENTIFYING ABSOLUTE PRIVILEGE

Recording absolute privilege in Defamation Act

Adoption of draft Defamation Bill format

Proceedings of inquiry not specifically mentioned

12. PROTECTED REPORTS

PROTECTED REPORTS AT COMMON LAW

PROTECTED REPORTS UNDER THE DEFAMATION ACT 1974

EXTENDING THE PROTECTED REPORTS DEFENCE

General principles

Drafting practice

Specific extensions of the defence

      Technical amendments

      Proceedings of a local authority

      Proceedings at company general meetings

ATTRIBUTED STATEMENTS

RIGHT OF REPLY

COURT AND OFFICIAL NOTICES

13. PROCEDURAL ISSUES

LIMITATION PERIOD FOR DEFAMATION ACTIONS

EXPRESS POWER TO STRIKE OUT DEFAMATION ACTIONS

THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE STOP WRIT

PROCEDURAL RULES

14. ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION

MEDIATION IN DEFAMATION ACTIONS

MEDIATION UNDER THE SUPREME COURT ACT

PROCEDURES FOR MEDIATION

APPENDIX 1: DEFAMATION AMENDMENT BILL 1995

APPENDIX 2: LIST OF SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED

APPENDIX 3: SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES

APPENDIX 4: SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

TABLE OF LEGISLATION

TABLE OF CASES

INDEX



Previous Page | Back to Lawlink Home | Top of Page
  Last updated 28 May 2001   Crown Copyright 2002 ©  
Hosted by
Lawlink NSW