Rob Anderson KC (with P McCarthy) appeared for the defendant, instructed by Steedman Stagg.
The plaintiff sued the defendant due to an article published about him implying that he acted dishonestly during his employment as a government official. The Court applied the principles set out in Rayney v Western Australia [No 9] [2017] WASC 367 to determine whether the article had a defamatory imputation, including the impression on the reader, context, and the publication’s presentation. The Court held that the article was defamatory, thus ruling in favour of the plaintiff. The plaintiff was awarded $180,000 in general damages for the harm caused to his reputation.
The judgment can be read by clicking here
