Comedy as jest defence

Lawyers representing Mick Molloy and Network TEN in a Defamation case against former South Australian Labor candidate Nicole Cornes will contend that comments were made in jest.

Cornes is seeking damages over a comment Molloy allegedly made on Before the Game in July 2008, questioning her fidelity by insinuating she slept with a former Port Adelaide player.

Molloy has since made an on-air apology for the remarks but Cornes, who unsuccessfully contested the 2007 federal election, is pursuing defamation action and seeking unspecified damages.

Sam Doyle, for Network TEN, told the SA Supreme Civil Court today that, ”Essentially, it will be a case of whether the words were understood in a literal sense or whether they were delivered in jest.”

The Judge today reserved his decision on whether a series of questions had to be answered ahead of a November trial.

Source: The Age