One of the nation’s biggest defamation judgments will be delivered on Thursday when the Federal Court rules on Ben Roberts-Smith’s multimillion-dollar case five years after the decorated former soldier filed the lawsuit.
wrongly accused him of war crimes, bullying a fellow soldier, and an act of domestic violence against a former lover in a series of stories published in 2018.
“[It’s] the biggest defamation case we’ve ever had, at least in recent times, because of the nature of the reporting, the seriousness of the allegations and the status of the claimant,” said University of Melbourne Law School Associate Professor Jason Bosland, director of the Media and Communications Law Research Network.
The Marsden case was “extraordinary in its dimensions”, trial judge David Levine said in 2001, adding that “as far as I know it has been the longest and ‘biggest’ defamation action in this country’s history”. Bosland said that if the court found in the outlets’ favour it would vindicate the media’s role in such investigations.
“It really does demonstrate the downside of bringing defamation claims because it can expose you to further reputational harm” even if the case was ultimately won, he said. Under the new defence, which has yet to be tested in the context of a full trial, a publisher must prove the allegedly defamatory matter “concerns an issue of public interest” and they “reasonably believed that the publication of the matter was in the public interest”.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Australia politics live: cities lead house price recovery; day of judgment in Ben Roberts-Smith defamation caseAustralia politics live: cities lead house price recovery; day of judgment for Ben Roberts-Smith
Read more »
Ben Roberts-Smith leaves Australia ahead of defamation trial decisionAfter a long-running trial, a judgment will be handed down today in the defamation case involving Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith and Nine newspapers. vella_lara 9News MORE:
Read more »
Ben Roberts-Smith leaves Australia ahead of defamation trial decisionEXCLUSIVE: The decorated war veteran has been photographed poolside in Bali at a $500-a-night resort. 9News
Read more »
110 days, 41 witnesses and 15 key questions to answer: What the Ben Roberts-Smith case was about110 days, 41 witnesses and 15 key questions: The judgment in the Ben Roberts-Smith case is about to be handed down. This is what you need to know
Read more »
110 days, 41 witnesses and 15 key questions to answer: What the Ben Roberts-Smith case was aboutThe judgment in the defamation trial of the century is about to be delivered.
Read more »
110 days, 41 witnesses and 15 key questions to answer: What the Ben Roberts-Smith case was aboutThe judgment in the defamation trial of the century is about to be delivered.
Read more »