Defamatory meanings and the hazards of relying on the ‘ordinary, reasonable person’ fiction
Keywords:
Asia-Pacific, Australia, convergence, defamation, defamatory imputation, defamatory meaning, defamation reform, digital media, freedom of speech, libel, media freedom, media law, media standards, self-regulation
Abstract
Defamation law offers a remedy when the plaintiff’s reputation is harmed by something the defendant publishes. At the heart of the action lies the question—what do the words complained about actually mean? The process of determining defamatory meaning depends heavily on what the court finds to be the imputations conveyed by the matter concerned to ‘ordinary, reasonable people’. The process relies on assumption and conjecture, rather than on evidence. This article examines how this process applied in the Hockey v Fairfax Media case brought by Australia’s former Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey against Fairfax Media, which presented a paradox—the court described the journalists’ articles concerned in glowing terms but still found for the plaintiff.
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References
Albrechtsen, J. (2014, November 12). Parliament must curb power-hungry ICAC. The Australian. Retrieved February 7, 2016, from www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/parliament-must-curb-powerhungry-icac/story-e6frg7bo-1227119906023
Australian Law Reform Commission. (2015, December). Traditional rights and freedoms—encroachments by Commonwealth laws. Final Report No 129.
Baker, R. (2011). Defamation law and social attitudes: Ordinary unreasonable people. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Baker, R. & Leslie, J. (2008). Rethinking the defamation jury. Media and Arts Law Review, 13, 422-446.
Bartlett, P. (2015). The Year in Australian Media Law. Going after whistleblowers, going after journalism. The report into the state of press freedom in Australia in 2015. Sydney, NSW: Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance (MEAA) .
Bennett, L. (2015, September 30). Publishers back calls for metadata law review. The Newspaper Works. Retrieved from www.thenewspaperworks.com.au/publishers-back-calls-for-metadata-law-review/
Brandis, G. (2016, March 2). Address at the launch of the Australian Law Reform Commission Report on Traditional Rights and Freedoms. Retrieved from www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Speeches/Pages/2016/FirstQuarter/2-March-2016-Address-at-the-launch-of-the-Australian-Law-Reform-Commission-Report-on-Traditional-Rights-and-Freedoms.aspx
Brown, R. (2012, December 20). British courts allowed to go easy on offensive tweets. ABC News. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-20/british-courts-issued-new-social-media-guidelines/4437812
Chesterman, M. (2000). Freedom of speech in Australian law: A delicate plate. Aldershot, UK: Dartmouth.
Convergence Review Final Report. (2012, March). Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Cripps, J. (2013, August 30). ICAC should stick to charter. The Australian. Retrieved February 7, 2016, from www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/icac-should-stick-to-charter/story-e6frg97x-1226706943429
Crown Prosecution Service UK. (n.d.) Guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media. Retrieved January 30, 2016 from www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/communications_sent_via_social_media/
Fernandez, J.M. (2016). The Hockey case. In Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance Press Freedom Report, Criminalising the truth – suppressing the right to know: The report into the state of press freedom in Australia in 2016 (pp. 46–47). Sydney, NSW: Media Alliance. Retrieved from https://pressfreedom.org.au/the-hockey-case-fc568e4546bd#.edl6fjv60
Fine, D. (2016, November 18). Colourful days ahead in post-truth world. The Age, p. 19. Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/1840691076/fulltext/FAF3A949375E4623PQ/1?accountid=10382
Finkelstein, R. (2012, February 28). Report of the independent inquiry into the media and media regulation.
Finkelstein, R. & Hamer, D. (2015). LexisNexis concise Australian legal dictionary [5th Ed.] Chatswood, NSW: LexisNexis Butterworths.
Gillooly, M. (1998). The law of defamation in Australia and New Zealand. Leichardt, NSW: Federation Press.
Godfrey-Smith, A., Williams, J.H., Hughes, J., Purchase, S. & Ramson, W. S. (1991). The Australian reference dictionary. Oxford, UK: OUP.
Hatch, B. (2015, June 30). Judgment says Fairfax Hockey articles were not defamatory, [Media Release]. Sydney: Fairfax Media
Human Rights Law Centre. (2016, February). Safeguarding democracy [Report]. Melbourne: HRLC. Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://hrlc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/HRLC_Report_SafeguardingDemocracy_online.pdf
Jabour, B. (2015, 22 July). ‘Treasurer for sale’ defamation case: Fairfax must pay 15% of Hockey’s costs. The Guardian. Retrieved February 5, 2016, from www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/22/treasurer-for-sale-defamation-case-fairfax-must-pay-15-of-hockeys-costs
Kenyon, A. T. (2006). Defamation comparative law and practice. Oxon, UK: UCL Press.
Magnusson, R. S. (2001). Freedom of speech in Australian defamation law: Ridicule, satire and other challenges. Torts Law Journal, 9, 269-272.
Media Alliance. (2015). Star chamber. Going after whistleblowers, going after journalism. Report into the State of Press Freedom in Australia in 2015.
Merritt, C. (2015, November 6). When mud sticks…cost of ICAC’s rough justice. The Australian. Retrieved February 7, 2016, from www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/when-mud-sticks-cost-of-icacs-rough-justice/story-e6frg97x-1227598020693
Milmo, P., & Rogers, W.V.H. (2008). Gatley on libel and slander [11th ed.] London, UK: Thomson Reuters.
Office of the Inspector of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. (2015). Annual Report 2014–2015.
Oxford Dictionaries Online.
– ‘likely’: Retrieved July 22, 2016, from www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/likely
– ‘post-truth’: Retrieved November 20, 2016, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/post-truth
Pearson, M. (2012). Blogging & tweeting without getting sued. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Robie, D. (2014, May 3). E-libel laws the new front line in Pacific battle for press freedom. The Conversation. Retrieved July 23, 2016, from https://theconversation.com/e-libel-laws-the-new-front-line-in-pacific-battle-for-press-freedom-25611
Rolph, D.
– (2016). Defamation law. Pyrmont, NSW: Lawbook Co.
– (2015, November 27). Our defamation law needs basic overhaul. The Australian. Retrieved February 5, 2016 from www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/david-rolph-defamation-law-needs-fundamental-reform/news-story/bff7b6ee531c535c68f4c271f1ffdc14
Stewart, D. (2013). Social media and the law: A guidebook for communication students and professionals. New York, NY: Routledge.
Weisbrot, D. (2015, July 1). Australian Press Council chair calls for urgent action on defamation law reform. [Media Release]. Sydney, NSW: Australian Press Council.
Legislation
Defamation Act 2005 (New South Wales).
Cases
Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (1992) 177 CLR 106.
Favell v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 52.
Hall-Gibbs Mercantile Agency Ltd v Dun (1910) 12 CLR 84.
Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited [2015] FCA 652.
Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (No 2) [2015] FCA 750.
John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Gacic [2007] HCA 28.
Lewis v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234.
Morgan v Odhams Press Ltd [1971] 1 WLR 1239.
Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills (1992) 177 CLR 1.
Petritsis v Hellenic Herald Pty Ltd (1978) 2 NSWLR 174.
Sutherland v ACP Publishing Pty Ltd [2000] NSWSC 1139.
Australian Law Reform Commission. (2015, December). Traditional rights and freedoms—encroachments by Commonwealth laws. Final Report No 129.
Baker, R. (2011). Defamation law and social attitudes: Ordinary unreasonable people. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
Baker, R. & Leslie, J. (2008). Rethinking the defamation jury. Media and Arts Law Review, 13, 422-446.
Bartlett, P. (2015). The Year in Australian Media Law. Going after whistleblowers, going after journalism. The report into the state of press freedom in Australia in 2015. Sydney, NSW: Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance (MEAA) .
Bennett, L. (2015, September 30). Publishers back calls for metadata law review. The Newspaper Works. Retrieved from www.thenewspaperworks.com.au/publishers-back-calls-for-metadata-law-review/
Brandis, G. (2016, March 2). Address at the launch of the Australian Law Reform Commission Report on Traditional Rights and Freedoms. Retrieved from www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/Speeches/Pages/2016/FirstQuarter/2-March-2016-Address-at-the-launch-of-the-Australian-Law-Reform-Commission-Report-on-Traditional-Rights-and-Freedoms.aspx
Brown, R. (2012, December 20). British courts allowed to go easy on offensive tweets. ABC News. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-20/british-courts-issued-new-social-media-guidelines/4437812
Chesterman, M. (2000). Freedom of speech in Australian law: A delicate plate. Aldershot, UK: Dartmouth.
Convergence Review Final Report. (2012, March). Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Cripps, J. (2013, August 30). ICAC should stick to charter. The Australian. Retrieved February 7, 2016, from www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/icac-should-stick-to-charter/story-e6frg97x-1226706943429
Crown Prosecution Service UK. (n.d.) Guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media. Retrieved January 30, 2016 from www.cps.gov.uk/legal/a_to_c/communications_sent_via_social_media/
Fernandez, J.M. (2016). The Hockey case. In Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance Press Freedom Report, Criminalising the truth – suppressing the right to know: The report into the state of press freedom in Australia in 2016 (pp. 46–47). Sydney, NSW: Media Alliance. Retrieved from https://pressfreedom.org.au/the-hockey-case-fc568e4546bd#.edl6fjv60
Fine, D. (2016, November 18). Colourful days ahead in post-truth world. The Age, p. 19. Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://search.proquest.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/docview/1840691076/fulltext/FAF3A949375E4623PQ/1?accountid=10382
Finkelstein, R. (2012, February 28). Report of the independent inquiry into the media and media regulation.
Finkelstein, R. & Hamer, D. (2015). LexisNexis concise Australian legal dictionary [5th Ed.] Chatswood, NSW: LexisNexis Butterworths.
Gillooly, M. (1998). The law of defamation in Australia and New Zealand. Leichardt, NSW: Federation Press.
Godfrey-Smith, A., Williams, J.H., Hughes, J., Purchase, S. & Ramson, W. S. (1991). The Australian reference dictionary. Oxford, UK: OUP.
Hatch, B. (2015, June 30). Judgment says Fairfax Hockey articles were not defamatory, [Media Release]. Sydney: Fairfax Media
Human Rights Law Centre. (2016, February). Safeguarding democracy [Report]. Melbourne: HRLC. Retrieved February 24, 2016, from http://hrlc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/HRLC_Report_SafeguardingDemocracy_online.pdf
Jabour, B. (2015, 22 July). ‘Treasurer for sale’ defamation case: Fairfax must pay 15% of Hockey’s costs. The Guardian. Retrieved February 5, 2016, from www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/22/treasurer-for-sale-defamation-case-fairfax-must-pay-15-of-hockeys-costs
Kenyon, A. T. (2006). Defamation comparative law and practice. Oxon, UK: UCL Press.
Magnusson, R. S. (2001). Freedom of speech in Australian defamation law: Ridicule, satire and other challenges. Torts Law Journal, 9, 269-272.
Media Alliance. (2015). Star chamber. Going after whistleblowers, going after journalism. Report into the State of Press Freedom in Australia in 2015.
Merritt, C. (2015, November 6). When mud sticks…cost of ICAC’s rough justice. The Australian. Retrieved February 7, 2016, from www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/when-mud-sticks-cost-of-icacs-rough-justice/story-e6frg97x-1227598020693
Milmo, P., & Rogers, W.V.H. (2008). Gatley on libel and slander [11th ed.] London, UK: Thomson Reuters.
Office of the Inspector of the Independent Commission Against Corruption. (2015). Annual Report 2014–2015.
Oxford Dictionaries Online.
– ‘likely’: Retrieved July 22, 2016, from www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/likely
– ‘post-truth’: Retrieved November 20, 2016, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/post-truth
Pearson, M. (2012). Blogging & tweeting without getting sued. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Robie, D. (2014, May 3). E-libel laws the new front line in Pacific battle for press freedom. The Conversation. Retrieved July 23, 2016, from https://theconversation.com/e-libel-laws-the-new-front-line-in-pacific-battle-for-press-freedom-25611
Rolph, D.
– (2016). Defamation law. Pyrmont, NSW: Lawbook Co.
– (2015, November 27). Our defamation law needs basic overhaul. The Australian. Retrieved February 5, 2016 from www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/david-rolph-defamation-law-needs-fundamental-reform/news-story/bff7b6ee531c535c68f4c271f1ffdc14
Stewart, D. (2013). Social media and the law: A guidebook for communication students and professionals. New York, NY: Routledge.
Weisbrot, D. (2015, July 1). Australian Press Council chair calls for urgent action on defamation law reform. [Media Release]. Sydney, NSW: Australian Press Council.
Legislation
Defamation Act 2005 (New South Wales).
Cases
Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (1992) 177 CLR 106.
Favell v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd [2005] HCA 52.
Hall-Gibbs Mercantile Agency Ltd v Dun (1910) 12 CLR 84.
Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited [2015] FCA 652.
Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (No 2) [2015] FCA 750.
John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Gacic [2007] HCA 28.
Lewis v Daily Telegraph Ltd [1964] AC 234.
Morgan v Odhams Press Ltd [1971] 1 WLR 1239.
Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills (1992) 177 CLR 1.
Petritsis v Hellenic Herald Pty Ltd (1978) 2 NSWLR 174.
Sutherland v ACP Publishing Pty Ltd [2000] NSWSC 1139.
Published
21-07-2017
How to Cite
Fernandez, J. M. (2017). Defamatory meanings and the hazards of relying on the ‘ordinary, reasonable person’ fiction. Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa, 23(1), 207-224. https://doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v23i1.36
Section
Articles (Unthemed)
Copyright (c) 2017 Joseph M Fernandez
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
