The extension application
25 As mentioned above, by s 14B of the Limitation Act, in respect of a defamation claim, a one year limitation period is prescribed.
26 Section 56A of the Limitation Act makes provision for an extension of that time. It was inserted into the Limitation Act in 2002 by the Defamation Amendment Act 2002. It was then in different terms, to which I will later refer. It was the subject of amendment, as part of a package of amendments effected by the Defamation Act 2005 ("the 2005 Act"), one notable feature of which is that they were adopted as part of a uniform national approach to the law of defamation. Most (if not all) States and Territories have similar or identical provisions. It is necessary to set out the terms of sub-s (2), which is the substantive provision. They are:
"(2) A court must, if satisfied that it was not reasonable in the circumstances for the plaintiff to have commenced an action in relation to the matter complained of within 1 year from the date of the publication, extend the limitation period mentioned in section 14B to a period of up to 3 years running from the date of the publication."
27 The provision is in somewhat unusual terms, and it is worth taking a moment to paraphrase, and to note what it does not do. It does not, as is usual with limitation extension provisions, confer a discretion on a court to extend a limitation period where, for example, it is just and reasonable to do so, or where it was reasonable for the plaintiff not to have commenced proceedings within the prescribed time.
28 It differs from such provisions in two respects. Firstly, it requires the plaintiff to prove that it was not reasonable to commence proceedings within time; secondly, far from conferring a discretion on the court to extend time if the plaintiff proves that fact, it obliges the court to extend time. Extension, in those circumstances, is mandatory.
29 By sub-s (3) a court may not order extension of the limitation period other than in the circumstances specified in sub-s (2).
30 The notice of motion was filed on 10 May 2010. The application for extension of time is therefore within the three year period envisaged by s 56A(2).
31 Counsel for the plaintiff again relied upon the decision in Rodgers. As I have mentioned above, the application there was similar to the present.
32 What were said to have been defamatory imputations were telecast in October and November 2006. Proceedings against the operator of the television station were commenced within the one year period. After the expiration of that period, the plaintiff sought to amend the statement of claim by adding the journalists involved in the telecast (and sought other orders it is not here necessary to mention). Whether the application in that case was inspired by what is attributed to McClellan CJ at CL or not does not appear from the judgment, but her Honour certainly devoted some attention to the interpretation question which is supposed to have arisen.
33 Her Honour granted the extension of time. It is urged upon me that, having regard to that judgment, I should adopt the same course. However, in my opinion, it is clear that her reasoning towards that result is, in a number of respects, flawed. What follows is an explanation for that view. At [20] her Honour set out s 14B; at [21], she said:
"It is against this background that the current provisions for limitation periods in relation to defamation actions need to be seen. In introducing the new legislation to Parliament the Attorney General, Mr Debus MLA, said:
'The relevant limitation period provisions have also been updated, but are essentially unchanged. The limitation period will continue to be one year from the date of publication, extendable to 3 years if the court considers it was not reasonable in the circumstances for the plaintiff to have commenced their [sic] action in time.'"
34 Her Honour then turned to submissions made on behalf of the defendants in that case (to the effect that the 2005 Act imposes a stricter test). She referred to a decision of Master Harper of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory, (Le Busque v ACP Publishing Pty Ltd [2005] ACTSC 138; 195 FLR 198) and set out the there applicable limitation and extension provision, the latter of which was, relevantly:
"(2) … the court shall, if satisfied that it was not reasonable for the plaintiff to have known about the publication of the matter complained of within 1 year from the date of the first publication, extend the limitation period …" (italics added)
35 She noted the distinction between that provision, and s 56A. But she then said:
"26. I reject the defendants' interpretation of the new provisions. The intention of the legislature was to have the same or similar provisions. I see nothing in the use of the word 'action' or the reformulation of the test to impose additional restrictions. The defendants do not submit that there was any such restriction under the repealed legislation and I cannot see any reason for accepting this very narrow reading of the new provision."
36 It is not clear to me what her Honour meant when she said "the intention of the legislature was to have the same or similar provisions". The same or similar provisions to what? One construction is that she was referring to the quote from the Attorney General at [26] of her judgment. But what the Attorney General said were "essentially unchanged" were the limitation periods. He did not say that the extension provisions were unchanged. Indeed, they were not. The extension provisions (for defamation claims) prior to the amendment made by the 2005 Act were those contained in the version of s 56A that was repealed by the 2005 Act; sub-s (4), which contained the operative provision, was in the following terms:
"(4) … the court may, if it decides that it is just and reasonable to do so , order that the limitation period for the cause of action be extended for such period as it determines …" (italics added)