Extract from The Guardian
Murdoch’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC and Private Media’s silk Michael Hodge KC will have to settle their legal arguments in a case management hearing on 10 October after failing to reach an agreement over part of Crikey’s defence, which Chrysanthou wants struck out because it is “embarrassing and irrelevant”.
She also had a dig at Crikey’s politics editor Bernard Keane, the author of the article which Murdoch says defamed him, for a line in the publisher’s defence that said Murdoch is the CEO of Fox News. Murdoch is not the chief executive of Fox News; he is the chief executive of the parent company, Fox Corporation.
“It’s disappointing given Mr Keane’s PhD and his so-called expertise on Fox News, that he doesn’t know that my client has never been CEO of Fox News,” Chrysanthou said. In reply, Justice Michael Wigney said the parties should not engage in “hyperbole”.
Hodge returned fire by saying that Chrysanthou had inadvertently “pleaded Lachlan Murdoch denies that Joseph Biden won the 2020 presidential election and that Donald Trump lost it”.
“I think, as our friend [Chrysanthou] is indicating, that’s not what she has intended by the pleading, but that is in accordance with the rules, the position that’s been taken.”
The court heard Murdoch may give evidence but if he did it would only be to the extent of his hurt feelings over the article headlined “Trump is a confirmed unhinged traitor. And Murdoch is his unindicted co-conspirator”.
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