News
COVID-19 Template Recovery Deed assisting SMEs working in Defence
The Template Recovery Deed (Recovery Deed) is a document which was recently created to legally bind currently contracted parties with the Commonwealth, who work with the Department of Defence to assist it in providing services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Geoffrey Rush’s Massive Defamation Win Shows the Risk of Media Rushing to Judgment on #MeToo
Geoffrey Rush’s massive ~$2.87 million defamation victory has been affirmed on appeal. Nationwide News Pty Ltd (Nationwide) appealed Justice Wigney’s April 2019 decision in Rush v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 7) [2019] FCA 496 on the basis that the trial judge erred in his findings as to the credibility of the defence’s key witness and that the award of damages made by the trial judge was ‘manifestly excessive’.
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Google as publisher of everything defamatory on the internet: Defteros v Google LLC [2020] VSC 219
Search engines and other ‘internet intermediaries’, like social media companies, are natural targets for defamation litigation. But their liability under Australian defamation law is controversial and often contested, particularly where the defamatory content is authored by third parties.
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What can you do when an anonymous troll is causing your business grief?
Some people are willing to say things online that they would never say to a person’s face. But when trolls comment on a product or service, they can be seriously destructive. We should not assume that every online review is factually accurate. Some are malicious.
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WA Defence Industry: Prepping your business for COVID-19
Just as families around Australia are prepping to weather COVID-19, so are countless businesses, including SME’s working in the WA Defence space. Getting your business ready for a concurrent pandemic and recession …
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DISP Defends Business and Security
In 2019, the Australian government announced reforms to the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP)1. DISP ensures that goods and services contracted by Defence conform to a requisite level of confidentiality. Arrangements under the reformed DISP should increase industry’s access to defence contracts by simplifying the process of preparing for, and adhering to, security requirements.
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A blow to media defendants – Indemnity costs under section 40(2) of the Defamation Act
Section 40(2) of the Defamation Act 2005 (WA) relevantly provides that a successful defamation plaintiff who is awarded their costs must be awarded their costs on an indemnity basis if the Court …
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Bushfire crisis: Are those protecting us really protected?
When the bushfire crises across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria passes, there will be a plethora of reviews of the response of the Commonwealth and State Governments, and also the …
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Proposed defamation reforms set to strip small business of existing rights
The Parliament and Attorneys General of Australia are in discussions set to amend existing defamation laws. One of the amendments proposed will, if implemented, strip small businesses of an existing right. The …
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Jensen wins defamation proceedings
On 20 December 2019, former Federal MP, Dr Dennis Jensen was awarded $325,000 in damages and interest by the WA Supreme Court against Nationwide News Pty Ltd, which owns The Australian masthead, …
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