ALLEGED LIBEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20968, 3 September 1931, Page 9

ALLEGED LIBEL.

SYDNEY NEWSPAPER REPORT.

CLAIM FOR DAMAGES FAILS.

SYDNEY, Sept. 2

An action was heard in which John Gunn, a solicitor, claimed £SOOO damages from the proprietors of the Sydney Morning Herald for alleged libel before the Chief Justice, Sir Philip Street, and a jury.

The plaintiff alleged that tho Sydney Morning Herald failed to publish evidence which contradicted unfavourable evidence given against him at his first trial for conspiracy, of which ho was acquitted at the second trial. >"■

The Chief Justice, in his summing up, said the jury's duty was to decide whether the report was substantially fair and accurate. What was meant by fair and accurato was not the mere setting out of every word of tho evidence, the address of counsel, or the summing up.'

If a report taken as a whole was substantially accurate, the mero fact that there were slight inaccuracies or omissions was immaterial. Some latitude must bo allowed with respect to omissions or inaccuracies, as otherwise there would be no safety in reporting these proceedings. The jury found a verdict for defendants.