ARTICLE · 19 JUNE 2014

How to sue the ABC for fun and profit - hijacking the judicial process

Marque Lawyers

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Politics hijacked the legal proceedings and the merits of the defamation claim went out the window when the ABC settled.

AustraliaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Michael Bradley

Hannah Marshall

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It is a marvel how often the judicial process is hijacked by politics and the media.

The latest example is journalist Chris Kenny's defamation case against the ABC. The case related to a segment on the Chaser show 'The Hamster Decides' that called Kenny a.. erm... dog...snuggler.

It all started when Kenny, a serial critic of the ABC, called for cuts to ABC funding during the last election. The Hamster said (in effect) 'of course the ABC should get its funding cut when it broadcasts things like THIS...' and on comes the dogsnuggling. Poor taste? Maybe. But it was sarcastic and satirical. It definitely wasn't literal. Did anyone really think they were suggesting that Kenny likes dogs a little too much?

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