Gunns v Marr (Unreported, Supreme Court of Victoria, BongiornoJ, 28 August 2006) [No 9575 of 2004] was originally brought against 20 defendants. At the time of writing (and after three statements of claim were struck out) the plaintiffs have filed a fourth version of their claims against only 15 defendants, following an order of Bongiorno J of the Supreme Court of Victoria on 3 April 2007. The proposed new claims cover six of the original 10 actions in the case: See Friends of Forests and Free Speech <www.gunns20.org> at 15 May 2007.
2.
David Jones Ltd v The Australia Institute Ltd (Federal Court of Australia, NSD No 2490 of 2006).
3.
Such definitions can limit, or distract, the analysis into arguments over intent. Bruce Donald cites a number of cases where defendants have been sued for referring to a case as a SLAPP suit: See DonaldBruce, ‘Defamation Actions Against Public Interest Debate’ (paper delivered to the Free Speech Committee of Victoria, 22 April 1999) Conservation Council of South Australia. <http://www.ccsa.asn.au/HIB/Bruce_Donald_article.html> at 15 May 2007.
4.
MarcusJulie, ‘Parallel Lies: The Fascist Analogy and Australia's Slide from Democracy to Gunns’ (2006) 21Dissent14, 20.
MartinBrianGrayTruda, ‘How to Make Defamation Threats and Actions Backfire’ (2005) 27Australian Journalism Review157, 160.
8.
McDonald's Corporation v Steel [1997] EWHC QB 366 (Unreported, Bell J, 19 June 1997). A first-hand account is provided in this Journal by one of the defendants: See MorrisDavid, ‘McLibel: Do-it-yourself justice’ (1999) 24Alternative Law Journal269.
9.
A comprehensive account of this litigation can be found at McSpotlight, the McLibel trial <http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/trial/story.html> at 15 May 2007. The case became the longest-running civil trial in British history.
10.
Steel v McDonald's Corporation [1999] EWCA Civ 1144 (Unreported, PillMayLLJKeeneJ, 31 March 1999).
11.
Steel and Morris v United Kingdom [2005] ECHR103 (no 68416/01, 15 February 2004).
12.
Takhar v Animal Liberation SA Inc & Or (Supreme Court of South Australia, No 754 of 2000) (‘Animal Liberation’).
13.
Chapman v Conservation Council of South Australia (2002) 82 SASR 449 (‘Hindmarsh Island’). An appeal was allowed in part: See Conservation Council of South Australia v Chapman (2003) 87 SASR 62. For a critical discussion of the trial case see ParnellMark, ‘Hindmarsh Island Bridge Defamation Case’ (2002) Impact (EDO NSW, 2002), reprinted at Conservation Council of South Australia <http://www.ccsa.asn.au/HIB/latest?Hindmarsh_Isld_def_Parnell.htm> at 15 May 2007.
14.
Chapman v Luminis Pty Ltd (2001) 123 FCR 62.
15.
See Takhar v Animal Liberation SA [2000] SASC 400 (Unreported, Lander J, 24 November 2000).
16.
The case relates to campaigns overseas allegedly calling for the boycott of Australian wool because of the painful practice of ‘mulesing’ (cutting skin from the backside) of sheep: Australian Wool Innovation v Newkirk & Ors (Federal Court of Australia, NSD No 1630 of 2004). Animal Liberation NSW is a co-defendant but the case is not even mentioned on Animal Liberation NSW's website (see <http://www.animal-lib.org.au> at 15 May 2007).
