“Contextual truth defence” allowed in McLachlan trial

The defamation case involving Craig McLachlan, ABC and the Sydney Morning Herald is set to get particularly ugly after Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum allowed the media outlets to amend their defence.

Both have now been given the green light to  include a new contextual meaning that McLachlan is “a sexual predator in that he has indecently assaulted and sexually harassed female colleagues in the workplace”.

Justice McCallum had previously struck out contextual meanings pleaded by the media organisations on the basis they were “insufficiently precise”, including a broader meaning pleaded by the ABC that the actor was a “sexual predator”.

The claim comes despite ABC happily working with McLachlan across 5 seasons of The Doctor Blake Mysteries and 1 telemovie, seemingly without complaint.

But the addition of a contextual truth defence will now allow the media outlets to raise allegations from women who worked with McLachlan on The Doctor Blake Mysteries, in addition to the Rocky Horror Show.

McLachlan, 53, denies the claims published in an article and broadcast by 7:30 in January, and maintains the allegations defamed him.

A month-long trial is due to start on February 4 in the NSW Supreme Court before a four-person jury.