Turner v Bulletin Newspaper Co Pty Ltd

Turner, a former Minister for the Interior, brought an action for defamation against Bulletin Newspaper Co Pty Ltd. The dispute concerned an article published by the defendant in *The Bulletin* magazine, which the plaintiff alleged was defamatory of him. The case was heard by the High Court of Australia.

The central legal issue before the High Court was whether the article, in its natural and ordinary meaning, was capable of conveying a defamatory imputation concerning the plaintiff. This involved an assessment of how a reasonable reader would understand the words used in the publication.

The High Court, by majority, held that the article was not capable of conveying a defamatory meaning. The judges considered the context in which the words were published and concluded that a reasonable reader would not have understood the article to be asserting that the plaintiff had acted dishonestly or improperly in his capacity as Minister. The principles of defamation law concerning the ordinary and natural meaning of words and the role of the jury in determining such meaning were applied.

The appeal was dismissed.