The appellant appealed a trial judgment finding him liable for libel arising from statements published on a personal website and posted on third-party websites about an interior designer.
The appellant argued the trial judge erred by applying a 'completely true' test instead of a 'substantially true' test, and erred in applying the doctrine of fair comment.
The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding the trial judge explicitly stated and properly applied the 'substantially true' test, and correctly concluded the defence of fair comment failed because the underlying facts were not true.
