Grosse v Purvis

In the case of Grosse v Purvis, the plaintiff, Grosse, sought damages for breach of privacy against the defendant, Purvis, who had published private information about Grosse in a blog post. The matter was heard in the Federal Court of Australia, where the plaintiff sought compensation for the invasion of privacy and the emotional distress caused by the publication.

The primary legal issues before the court were whether the information published constituted a breach of privacy and, if so, what the appropriate quantum of damages should be. The court had to determine whether the information was of a private nature, whether the publication was unreasonable, and the extent of any harm suffered by the plaintiff as a result of the publication.

The court found that the information published did constitute a breach of privacy. The information disclosed was of a highly personal nature and the publication was deemed unreasonable given the context and circumstances. The court further found that the plaintiff had suffered significant emotional distress as a result of the publication, which warranted compensation. The court awarded damages of $178,000 to the plaintiff, representing the harm suffered and loss of privacy. Interest on the damages was to be paid from the date of the judgment until satisfaction.