Latest news with #JudithGibson
The Age
10-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Why a multimillion-dollar legal boom is running out of steam
The number of new defamation cases being filed in Australia has declined sharply since a boom five years ago, in a sign that costly court losses and recent law reforms may be deterring prospective plaintiffs. The Federal Court, which historically heard almost no defamation cases, emerged in the past decade as the forum of choice for a string of famous litigants including Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush. In 2020, at the peak of the Federal Court's defamation bonanza, 67 defamation cases were filed in its registries across the country. That figure dropped by more than half to 30 cases last year. A decline in new defamation filings is also apparent in state courts over the past decade. In 2014, 58 defamation cases were filed in the NSW Supreme Court, compared with 14 in 2020 and just six last year. This reflects the shift in cases to the Federal Court. But the number of new defamation filings also declined in the NSW District Court: 58 new cases were filed in 2020, compared with 15 last year. The District Court 'is the venue of choice for claims of a more modest nature', Judge Judith Gibson, one of the country's top defamation jurists, said in a recent decision. A total of 46 defamation cases were initiated in the Victorian County Court in 2020, and a further 51 the following year. Last year, 26 new defamation matters were filed. This is roughly on par with the number filed a decade ago.
Sydney Morning Herald
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why a multimillion-dollar legal boom is running out of steam
The number of new defamation cases being filed in Australia has declined sharply since a boom five years ago, in a sign that costly court losses and recent law reforms may be deterring prospective plaintiffs. The Federal Court, which historically heard almost no defamation cases, emerged in the past decade as the forum of choice for a string of famous litigants including Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush. In 2020, at the peak of the Federal Court's defamation bonanza, 67 defamation cases were filed in its registries across the country. That figure dropped by more than half to 30 cases last year. A decline in new defamation filings is also apparent in state courts over the past decade. In 2014, 58 defamation cases were filed in the NSW Supreme Court, compared with 14 in 2020 and just six last year. This reflects the shift in cases to the Federal Court. But the number of new defamation filings also declined in the NSW District Court: 58 new cases were filed in 2020, compared with 15 last year. The District Court 'is the venue of choice for claims of a more modest nature', Judge Judith Gibson, one of the country's top defamation jurists, said in a recent decision. A total of 46 defamation cases were initiated in the Victorian County Court in 2020, and a further 51 the following year. Last year, 26 new defamation matters were filed. This is roughly on par with the number filed a decade ago.
