Australian Capital Territory SLAPPs

This page is part of a list of Australian SLAPP suits and threatened law suits. It contains the references to SLAPPs in the Australian Capital Territory (or cases in the ACT Division of the Federal Court). The full details of the list and the definitions used is at SLAPP's in Australia.

Legal Threats

• September 1996: The publicly owned electricity and water services utility ACTEW threatened defamation action against the Federal member for the seat of Burrinjuck, Alby Schultze. ACTEW issued a writ for defamation after Schultze raised concerns about the discharges of sewerage into the Mologolo River system in October 1995. ACTEW's then actining Chief Executive, Peter Perkins, told the Canberra Times the action had been initiated in the interests of the A.C.T.
• April 2003: Canberra Zoo: Letter threatening Animal Liberation with defamation if a protest went ahead.[1]
• August 1997: Head of the government owned utility, ACTEW, threatened Greens Member of Parliament Kerrie Tucker over statements made about ACTEW possibly being in breach of legislation over a coal powered electricity deal. ACTEW demanded an apology. [2] Tucker refused to issue an apology and spoke out about the threat in Parliament. ACTEW did not initiate legal action.
• November 1997: the National Association of Forest Industries warned the television station, Ten Capital, that it would commence legal action if it didn't withdraw a Community Service Announcement by The Wilderness Society. Copy of correspondence

Legislation Defending Public Participation

• "Protection of Public Participation Act 2008", ACT's Legislation Register, Parliamentary Counsel's Office, accessed October 2008.

Other SourceWatch resources

• SLAPP's
• SLAPP's in Australia

External links

• Brendan Nicholson and Graham Cooke, "We're Good and Green and We'll Sue: ACTEW", Canberra Times, September 7, 1996.
• Ian Warden, "Zoo Threatens Legal Action over Protesters' Accusations" Canberra Time', 28 April 2003, page 2.