Gazette

Former Westpoint boss Norm Carey lives to fight another day over a 2006 Four Corners program … Former Kings Cross policewoman Wendy Hatfield gets a settlement and a grovel from News Digital ... more

Channel Seven gets the green light to appeal Judge Levy’s no-jury decision … Sacked Keddies interpreters sue partners … “National Honesty Test” failure sues Today Tonight ... Killer defamations … Doctor sues University of NSW … ABC radio presenter sues Newcastle radio stations … Rank & file matters ... more

Is the jury still out on the use of juries in defamation actions? ... Has the impetus gone from the idea that they should be disposed of? A Special Report on what’s what ... more

Appeals, cross-appeals, intentions to appeal, special leave applications and settlements abound as the defamation year comes to a finale … Greens MP Ian Cohen counts the cost (again) ... Two in-camera court hearings grind to a close ... more

Interlocutory drama … NRL “Cougar” Charmyne Palavi deliberately destroyed evidence … Nationwide News fails to get Habib costs order changed ... more

Magistrate Pat O’Shane on the defamation warpath again … Liquidator files seven writs against Fairfax … Seven Kazal brothers sue The Sydney Morning Herald ... Public servant “bully” sues The Canberra Times ... NRL “Cougar” Charmyne Palavi under cross-examination … Melbourne Storm coach and former CEO settle with NRL judiciary … Special leave or not for Jeremy Griffith … “People smuggler” to pay two thirds of his costs … ... more

Paparazzi deprived of another photo opportunity as Hollywood star Demi Moore settles her breach of copyright and invasion of privacy actions against New Idea ... more

Former Defence Minister sues Fairfax over bribery allegations … Alleged briber wants to know who leaked … Seven settles two actions … Porn king sues The Sydney Morning Herald, again … Derek Sands seeks special leave … “Constable Wendy” launches another action … North Coast surgeons at each other’s ears, noses & throats … Rugby league international sues The Herald ... more

A defamation action brought by the NRL’s best-known “cougar”, Charmyne Palavi stalls temporarily. Lawyers for 2UE subpoena the “Cougar’s” mobile records after she claims her phones have been lost or destroyed ... more

Things become even more interesting as the District Court gets not one, but two Defamation List judges and a Defamation Panel … Does this mean the court is expecting an avalanche of actions? The Gazette ponders the possibilities ... more

Is the District Court jury issue dead in the water? And what is Judge Judith Gibson doing hearing interlocutory arguments in several concurrent defamation cases? The Gazette reports that once-troubled waters appear to be becalmed – for now ... more

The high cost of Alan Jones … Today Tonight story injuncted … Westpoint founder out of time … Alan Bond settles with The West ... “Love rat” settles with The Telegraph ... Aboriginal art dealer sues the ABC … Anthony Cummings sues Fairfax (twice) ... Who’s appealing what … Justice McClellan’s meeting of the minds ... more

More interesting developments down at the Dizzo as Judge Leonard Levy neatly side-steps a call to disqualify himself on the basis of apprehended bias ... more

Is there a plan to phase juries out of defamation hearings at the NSW District Court? Read what Judge Leonard Levy had to say to media lawyers who first called for him to stand down on the basis of bias – and then withdrew the application ... more

Liberals get into the defamation act … Alan Jones and 2GB sued by swim boss … 2SM settles after aborted trial … Former NSW copper sues The Daily Telegraph over shock horror corruption allegations … NSW Court of Appeal sends qualified privilege defence back to the Dizzo for re-trial ... more

More disturbing developments down at the Dizzo … Judge Leonard Levy dispenses with a defamation jury after granting his own application … Is this a bold new direction in defamation law? ... more

Judge Judith Gibson resigns as Defamation List Judge … Judge Leonard Levy calls for submissions on why he shouldn’t empanel a jury … Media lawyers in a flap over an unwelcome new direction … What’s going on down at the Dizzo? ... more

SA Supreme Court throws out Labor lobbyist Nick Bolkus’ defamation action against the ABC … Trials coming up for Aunty and The Daily Telegraph... Diplomat sues The Australian ... Bega mayor sues Franciscan sister ... more

The Australian all het up over banned child-killer story … The high cost of battling Captain Dragan … “Constable Wendy” sues over new Underbelly series … Perth barrister sues over true crime book … Health bureaucrat sues Alan Jones … Fairfax settles child sex defamation case … Alan Bond accuses The West Australian of destroying records ... more

Juries rejected in Victoria, discharged in NSW … Serial litigant Vivienne Dye fails to get a stay … Alleged Serbian war criminal files appeal on the run … Keysar Trad just exercising his right to free speech … Queensland jockey backs new imputations … Nine settles with two Californian scuba divers ... more

Action aplenty on the defamation front … Federal Labor MP Craig Thomson sues The Sydney Morning Herald over brothel/union credit card allegations … 2GB under fire from fish shop owner … High-living Sydney businessman Andrew Sigalla sues The Australian ... Football NSW takes on The Sun Herald ... Fairfax has a surprise for Business Spectator ... Pseudonyms no protection on the net … Daily Telegraph sued over coronial inquest report … “Evil” monk sues Vietnamese Herald ... No jury of 12 for the Federal Court ... more

High Court to hear why serial killer Peter Dupas’ murder retrial should be permanently stayed due to “adverse publicity” ... Anglican Bishop of South Sydney dropped from unholy defamation proceedings … The Daily Telegraph gets page three grovel wrong … Channel Seven settles with struck-off doctor Harvey Tarvydas … Backyarder with a difference ... more