A senior ABC producer has sued the broadcaster, alleging he’s owed $290,000 in underpayments, including for working an average 70 hours a week on the documentary series ‘Australian Story’.
The judge overseeing ex-commando Heston Russell’s defamation case against the ABC over reporting of alleged war crimes will be involved in assessing his costs after media reports put his lawyers’ fees at $2 million.
Lawyer and Papua New Guinea citizen Samson Jubi has sued the ABC over stories he claims have “racist undertones” and accuse him of defrauding $117 million from a charity meant to benefit villagers after PNG’s largest mine disaster.
Television presenter Lisa Wilkinson has reportedly taken Network Ten to court, arguing her employer has reneged on a promise to cover her costs in defending defamation proceedings by former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.
Two cosmetic surgeons have filed defamation suits seeking aggravated damages over coverage by the ABC and Fairfax that allegedly painted them as “outlaw surgeons” who mutilated a patient and exploited the Medicare system.
A judge has awarded ex-commando Heston Russell $390,000 in damages over coverage of alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, in the first ever post-trial judgment in a defamation case to consider the public interest defence.
A judge has expressed his preliminary view that cases brought in Queensland cannot be thrown out where the costs of the claims are disproportionate to their importance, allowing a defamation case by entrepreneur Robert McVicker against the ABC to proceed.
Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys AM has failed in his bid to have the High Court take up his challenge to an appeals court ruling that found an ABC report on the killing of racehorses was not defamatory despite not being high quality journalism.
A judge overseeing the defamation trial of former commando Heston Russell said he was “disturbed” by an ABC press release following the broadcaster’s decision to drop its public interest defence on the eve of trial, which was reinstated days later.
A judge hearing closing submissions in Heston Russell’s defamation case against the ABC has expressed “significant reservations” about evidence by the former commando and said that a “less than complete” story could still be protected under the new public interest defence.