The 'me too' movement

[David]

[K]

Accusations over Craig McLachlan's TV show behaviour, court hears

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/accusations-over-craig-mclachlan-s-tv-show-behaviour-court-hears-20181123-p50hz4.html

"McLachlan ... is suing the ABC and Fairfax Media for defamation...

The actor is also suing Christie Whelan Browne, who performed alongside him in the production and spoke to journalists for the stories.

In a preliminary hearing in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday afternoon, McLachlan's barrister Matthew Richardson said all three parties being sued were trying to amend their defences to add details about three new complainants from Doctor Blake.
...

All defendants have pleaded the defences of truth and contextual truth...

Mr Richardson argued the entire contextual truth defence, which details incidents involving McLachlan over a 28-year period, and part of the truth defence, which concerns Rocky Horror, should be struck out.

Fairfax has pleaded the contextual truth imputations that McLachlan is "calculated, manipulative and a predator", "conducted himself in a manner that warrants the police conducting an investigation of his conduct", and "took advantage of situations in which women were vulnerable, to prey on them sexually".
...

He said the contextual truth imputations were at the "highest possible level of generality" and the court should not be used to hold a "royal commission into the plaintiff".

Mr Richardson added that some other paragraphs of the defence were "so hopelessly imprecise they must go".

Tom Blackburn, SC, appearing for the defendants, said most of the material objected to by Mr Richardson had been part of the court case since June and any changes the defendants proposed were "very confined".
...

McLachlan's solicitor previously told the court his client has suffered severe mental anxiety and distress, rarely leaves home, and that his acting career has been "effectively destroyed" in the wake of the allegations made against him."

[think positive]

On the news last night they said 5 more complainants have come forward over a 3year period. How does all this get out? Something like this you’d think would be easier to keep private until trial stage?

[K]

In the extreme case, witnesses in criminal cases chat to the media pre-trial.

[K]

The name Tom Blackburn in the McL case seemed strangely familiar. It turns out he's also working for the defence in the Rush case...

[HAL]

It depends on what the meaning of the word "it" is.

[think positive]

[K]

Craig McLachlan seeks $6.5m in damages in defamation case

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/craig-mclachlan-seeks-6-5m-in-damages-in-defamation-case-20181126-p50igc.html

"Meanings Fairfax has pleaded in its contextual truth defence include that McLachlan was "calculated, manipulative and a sexual predator".

Mr Richardson said "calculated" could be regarded as a compliment, "manipulative" was an excessively vague term and "sexual predator" could be anything from some kind of targeted flirting to sexual assault.

He is expected to make further applications on Wednesday."

[David]

Some good news:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/28/luke-foley-backs-down-from-threat-to-sue-abc-over-sexual-harassment-allegations

[K]

Craig McLachlan seeks to subpoena co-star's therapist in defamation battle

https://www.theage.com.au/national/craig-mclachlan-seeks-to-subpoena-co-star-s-therapist-in-defamation-battle-20181128-p50ixb.html

" McLachlan's lawyers asked NSW Supreme Court judge Lucy McCallum to allow a question to be put to Whelan Browne about the name and address of her therapist, so they could issue a subpoena seeking access to the therapist's notes recording any contemporaneous complaints about McLachlan's alleged conduct.

Barrister Matthew Richardson, for McLachlan, said it was clear Whelan Browne had a series of appointments with a therapist where her interactions with McLachlan were discussed and this was not a case of "fishing around" for medical records.

He said it was "on the cards" the notes could assist McLachlan's case.

But Lyndelle Barnett, the barrister for the media companies and Whelan Browne, said McLachlan's lawyers were clearly "fishing" to see if there was any prior "consistent or inconsistent" statement about the alleged behaviour.

It was likely in any case that the therapist would claim the notes were covered by protected confidence privilege, Ms Barnett said.
...

Ms Barnett said that if the question was allowed to be put to Whelan Browne, Justice McCallum should also allow the defendants to ask the actor for the name of his therapist for the same purpose."


[How did they know WB saw anyone? It's a bit disturbing.]

[Skids]

[K]

[stui magpie]

^

Let them.

[David]

[K]