Geoffrey Rush loses bid to silence newspaper

Actor Geoffrey Rush has lost his latest bid to prevent Nationwide News from repeating the substance of its allegations.

In May Rush awarded $2.9 million after the Federal Court found the Daily Telegraph’s publisher and journalist Jonathon Moran were reckless with the truth when they reported he had been accused of inappropriate behaviour during a Sydney theatre production of King Lear.

But yesterday Justice Michael Wigney dismissed an application for an injunction preventing the publisher from repeating the meanings found to be conveyed in the defamatory material.

The publisher’s barrister, Tom Blackburn SC, had argued the proposed injunctions would have a “chilling effect” on discussion of the case and claimed Rush was trying to shut down criticism of the judgment.

But Justice Michael Wigney also refused to disqualify himself from hearing a post-trial application because there was “no basis” to the claim.

The judge said the paper had effectively sided with Eryn-Jean Norvill’s version of events and criticised the rejection of her evidence.

“The difficulty for Mr Rush, however, is that whatever one may think of the quality and objectivity of the journalism, analysis and commentary in those articles, they do not provide any sound basis upon which to infer that, unless restrained [News Corp] will continue to publish the imputations that have been found to be unjustified and defamatory.”

The court heard that Rush had initially offered to settle the case for $50,000 and a front-page apology.

Source: Nine News, Australian Financial Review.