Nine

The owner of womens’ networking group ‘Business Chicks’ has sued Fairfax over allegedly defamatory articles which she claims painted her as a hypocrite who unfairly fired a pregnant employee and fostered a toxic workplace culture. 

The judge who found that disgraced soldier Ben Roberts-Smith committed war crimes in Afghanistan did not show “full consideration of the presumption of innocence” in his defamation case, an appeals court has heard. 

A judge has rejected a top orthopaedic surgeon’s bid to uncover the names of 13 sources who gave information to a Nine journalist, preferring the public interest in protecting the sources' identities and noting their fears of reprisals by the Sydney surgeon. 

Nine has agreed to pay Euro Pacific CEO Peter Schiff $550,000 to settle a defamation suit brought over a 60 Minutes report on an international tax evasion investigation, avoiding a contested hearing on the damages bill in the case.

Marcus Bastiaan has sued solicitors who acted in his settled defamation case against Nine over branch stacking allegations, claiming the legal bill was “grossly disproportionate” and almost double his settlement.

A top orthopaedic surgeon who is suing Nine for defamation has accused the outlet of contempt of court by publishing unadmitted evidence about his reputation, claiming the stories were “improper, unjust and lacking in bona fides”. 

A judge has thrown out defamation lawsuits by the partner of a man accused of being a Central Coast gang member in coverage by Nine and the Daily Telegraph, finding the stories never identified her. 

A top orthopaedic surgeon and former NSW Australian of the year has argued in his defamation case against Nine that stories detailing his alleged negligence misled the public about medical issues and were the “opposite of public interest” journalism. 

Nine has partially won its bid to include evidence about the reputation of Euro Pacific CEO Peter Schiff in an attempt to minimise the damages it will owe after abandoning its substantive defences in defamation proceedings by the bank boss.

With truth on its side, Nine's defeat of soldier Ben Roberts-Smith's lawsuit was a huge win for investigative journalism in Australia, but while it might make lawyers blink before bringing defamation cases, the victory is not a game-changer, experts say.