Law discharged from Gunns case

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc
Media Release  
7 November 2008

Wilderness Society Tasmania Campaign Manager, Geoff Law, has called for state and national law reform to prevent large companies from pursuing community groups or individuals in court cases that cost many times more than the likely damages to be awarded.

Mr Law, the second defendant in the complex and costly ‘Gunns 20’ case, was discharged by the Victorian Supreme Court on 31 October 2008 following a settlement of an undisclosed amount pertaining to a protest in the Styx valley in November 2003. The settlement was a very small fraction of Gunns’ original claim against Mr Law of $180,000.

“Personally, I think Gunns’ claim against me was without foundation, but I’ve made this settlement to stop the haemorrhaging of funds to lawyers,” said Mr Law. “I protested against logging in the Styx valley to defend the area’s World Heritage values and would do so again.”

“Our protest was eventually vindicated by Federal Government action to protect oldgrowth forests in the Styx from logging.”

“It’s wrong that a large company with deep pockets can spend millions of dollars pursuing citizens in the courts in order to seek damages that are puny by comparison with lawyers’ fees.”

“All jurisdictions in Australia should follow the lead of the ACT in passing laws that discourage companies from taking such expensive, complex and time-consuming actions against individuals and community organizations.”

Earlier this year, the ACT Parliament passed anti-SLAPP legislation – as have many states in the USA over the past decade. ‘SLAPP’ means ‘strategic lawsuit against public participation’, a tactic sometimes used by corporations whose effect can be to quell public debate.