Defamation trial: Rob Pyne vs. Greg Hallam in civil court battle
An irate judge has slammed the barrister leading a landmark defamation trial against a former Cairns MP for failing to co-operate with respondent and Cairns councillor Rob Pyne.
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AN irate judge has slammed the barrister leading a landmark defamation trial against a former Cairns MP for failing to co-operate with self-represented respondents.
Former Cairns MP and now Division 2 councillor Rob Pyne and Lyn Elizabeth O’Conner appeared in the Cairns District Court on Monday to answer defamation allegations brought by Local Government Association of Queensland CEO Greg Hallam.
Mr Hallam filed for $2.5 million in damages against four defendants in 2018, including a $500,000 claim against the then-MP over allegedly defamatory Facebook posts Mr Hallam said falsely questioned his integrity.
Up to 15 document boxes were carted into the courtroom before Brisbane-based barrister Michael Amerena began rolling through the list of 18 witnesses who will be called during a trial expected to last two weeks.
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However when discussing damages Mr Amerena offered documents to Judge Dean Morzone that had not been sighted by Mr Pyne or Ms O’Conner.
“(This is) a continuation of the attitude that’s been displayed across the bar table since I’ve been engaged in the matter,” Judge Morzone said.
“I would expect there to be a far greater level of collegiality between you and your opponent if this matter is to be conducted at some level of proficiency.”
Judge Morzone adjourned to cool off before returning five minutes later.
Making a submission on the meme allegedly posted to Facebook in 2017 that likened Mr Hallam to the intergalactic Star Wars gangster Jabba the Hutt, the LGAQ boss tried to leave the court before being instructed by Mr Amerena to come back and sit down.
During his opening submission Mr Amerena said digital marketing expert Hamish Nicholas Miller would be called to testify that he believed Mr Hallam was the subject of the Jabba the Hutt caricature.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson, former LGAQ HR manager Cara Hughes and an independent psychologist according to Mr Amerena would give evidence to support the alleged impact of the Facebook meme on Mr Hallam’s mental health, including a 20kg weight gain, insomnia, anxiety and a need for medication.
“This is a clear case that has caused severe psychiatric injury and there have been problems caused by the medication intended to mitigate that injury,” Mr Amerena told the court.
Mr Pyne’s use of parliamentary privilege before losing his seat in 2017 was the cause of “tension” between Mr Hallam and the Cairns councillor, Mr Amerena said.
Former APN newswire journalist Geoff Egan will be called to give evidence about the background to a story published in the Sunshine Coast Daily in June 2016.
“Mr Pyne has faced a barrage of criticism in use of parliamentary privilege to get around defamation,” Mr Egan wrote at the time.
Originally published as Defamation trial: Rob Pyne vs. Greg Hallam in civil court battle
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