Major Australian media companies have lined up with the magazine publisher Bauer in its appeal against the record amount of damages awarded to actor Rebel Wilson last year.
The payout of $650,000 in general and aggravated damages and $3.9m in special damages was the biggest defamation win in Australian legal history, but is now subject to appeal by the publishers of Woman’s Day and the Australian Women’s Weekly.
On Monday News Corp Australia, Fairfax Media, Macquarie Media, the ABC and the Seven and Nine networks asked the Victorian appeal court for leave to intervene, in an effort to prevent defamation payouts escalating.
The media companies are worried the decision to award Wilson $650,000 in general and aggravated damages – when general damages are supposed to be capped at $389,500 – will lead to plaintiffs seeking ever higher payouts.
The lawyer for the joint media group, Justin Quill from Macpherson Kelley, said the rare move was triggered by the media’s desire to protect free speech and to keep legal costs from spiralling out of control.
Source:
theguardian
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