Court throws out Julian Batchelor defamation claim against TVNZ

Anti-co-governance campaigner Julian Batchelor has failed in his defamation action against TVNZ, with a judge ruling the broadcaster and a researcher acted within the law.

District Court Judge David Clark rejected the claim in full, finding defences of truth, honest opinion and responsible communication were all established.

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The case stemmed from a 2023 1News report examining Batchelor’s anti-co-governance campaign and pamphlet distribution. Batchelor sought damages and an apology over comments made by Disinformation Project researcher Sanjana Hattotuwa.

While the court accepted the comments were capable of being defamatory, it ruled they were factual and reflected genuinely held views expressed in the public interest.

Judge Clark found Batchelor’s language towards Māori was sustained and offensive and concluded it met the threshold for racist rhetoric.

The court also rejected Batchelor’s account of events during the reporting process, instead backing evidence from 1News journalist Te Aniwa Hurihanganui, including records confirming a pre-publication interview took place.

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Batchelor’s campaign activity, including public meetings, publications and online material, was considered as part of the assessment. He has been ordered to pay costs, with further arguments on that issue to be heard next month.

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