$850,000 in compensatory damages, including aggravated damages, in a blistering judgment that castigated the tabloid for its "sensationalist" reporting.At present, compensatory damages in Australian defamation cases are capped at $398,500. But in a chilling development for media outlets, the Victorian Supreme Court – and later the Court of Appeal – ruled inthat the cap is effectively abolished in cases where aggravated damages are warranted.
Professor David Rolph, a defamation law expert at the University of Sydney, said the decision was "a comprehensive victory for Mr Rush" and "in light of the reasons for judgment, the award of damages for economic loss is likely to be very substantial". But Justice Wigney said Mr Rush's earning capacity was likely to bounce back two years after his judgment. He said "the most likely scenario" was that he would receive no real offers of work for a year, before it gradually increased from 50 per cent to 75 per cent and back up to his previous earning capacity.
MWhitbourn 👏🏽👏🏽❤️👏🏽👏🏽
MWhitbourn Craig McLachlan is up next! Basically the same deal...
MWhitbourn The 'RICH get RICHER'!!
MWhitbourn Easily the most disgraceful front page I have ever seen. They were seduced by the metoo 🐂💩.
MWhitbourn One can only hope this sets a precedent for more to take on this insidious rag which pretends to be a reputable newspaper. Murdoch media has always lived on lies, deceit and sensationalism.
MWhitbourn Good About time those Leftarded journos got a boot in the behind