An appeals court has set aside a judgment awarding federal minister Peter Dutton $35,000 in his defamation case over a tweet by a refugee activist labelling him a “rape apologist”.
Counsel for Peter Dutton has told a court a reader needed to do “mental gymnastics” to understand activist Shane Bazzi’s “rape apologist” tweet as saying the minister doubted rape allegations rather than “excused” the act of rape.
Hoping to correct “mistakes” in his testimony in the trial of Clive Palmer’s defamation case, Western Australia Attorney-General John Quigley will get the chance to amend his evidence as a witness for state premier Mark McGowan next month.
WA Attorney-General John Quigley wants a second go at his trial testimony in a defamation case brought by mining magnate Clive Palmer, admitting he made “mistakes” while giving evidence in the witness box.
WA premier Mark McGowan’s text messages between Kerry Stokes and the WA Attorney General have been revealed at the trial in Clive Palmer’s defamation case, including an exchange in which the state’s leader thanks the media baron for the “marvellous front pages”.
Taking the stand Monday in a defamation dispute with mining billionaire Clive Palmer, WA premier Mark McGowan said Palmer’s “hurtful and outrageous” public comments led to death threats against his wife and family.
A judge has hit brothers Adam and Charif Kazal with $1.45 million in damages in a defamation lawsuit brought by their former business partner Rodric David and his company, finding the Kazals vilified and denigrated David as part of a ‘vendetta’.
Clive Palmer said he feared for his physical safety as a result of the criminal immunity granted to the WA government by legislation and the consequent ‘political campaign’ waged against him, as he took the stand for the first time in his defamation trial against the WA premier.
A judge overseeing the closely watched trial in Clive Palmer’s defamation case against WA Premier Mark McGowan has vented his frustrations with the state of Australian defamation proceedings, railing against what he said was the common practice of parties refusing to concede even minor points.
Comments made about Clive Palmer by Western Australia premier Mark McGowan in press conferences were “heavy with historical and sinister significance”, a court has heard on the first day of trial in the mining billionaire’s defamation case.