Australia has become a defamation hotspot. Are our politicians, whose own attacks in Parliament are protected by privilege, overdoing it? Jason Bosland explains.
Justice with Jon FaineShow Notes
Melbourne Law School and host Jon Faine bring you Justice: a biweekly podcast about the law behind the news.
In this episode, Associate Professor Jason Bosland explains what defamation is and why politicians sue over it, updates to Australian defamation law, and why some deserve to succeed in their court cases.
Further reading: Melbourne Law School’s Dr Jessica Lake explains what the Higgins v Reynolds ruling tells us about defamation in Australia
Cases mentioned in this episode: Reynolds v Higgins (2025) WASC 345
[2022] FCA 1235 - Burston v Hanson
Palmer v McGowan (No 6) [2022] FCA 927
Greenwich v Latham [2024] FCA 1050
Hanson-Young v Bauer Media Ltd [2013] NSWSC 1306 Russell v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2023] FCA 38
Russell v Australian Broadcasting Corporation [2023] FCA 38
Justice is a podcast of Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples as the Traditional Owners of the unceded land on which we record, publish, work, learn and live.
More from Justice with Jon Faine
Dr Jessica Lake, specialist in media law and feminism, takes a piercing look at the use and misuse of smart glasses - an old problem now finding outlet with a new technology.
Melbourne Law School and host Jon Faine bring you Justice: a weekly podcast about the law behind the news.
Melbourne Law School and host Jon Faine bring you Justice: a weekly podcast about the law behind the news.
Melbourne Law School and host Jon Faine bring you Justice: a weekly podcast about the law behind the news.
This episode contains material some people might find disturbing. Listener discretion is advised.