Paper’s new legal ploy shot down

A Sydney tabloid newspaper’s ‘‘zealous if not desperate’’ attempt to again amend its defence in the defamation lawsuit brought by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush has been rejected by a Federal Court judge.

Justice Michael Wigney also dismissed a bid by The Daily Telegraph to launch a cross-claim against the Sydney Theatre Company, describing the proposal as ‘‘very weak if not tenuous’’.

The 66-year-old Oscar winner is suing the Telegraph and journalist Jonathon Moran over stories published in late 2017 alleging that Rush behaved inappropriately with a colleague during a Sydney Theatre Company production of King Lear in 2015. Rush has rejected the allegations.

The paper denies that the articles made Rush out to be a pervert and a predator, arguing that no allegations of a sexual nature were made.

Wigney said yesterday that Rush, like any litigant, was entitled to expect that his defamation claim would be resolved as quickly, inexpensively and efficiently as possible.

Wigney set the defamation hearing down for September 3.

– AAP

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