Attorney General Greg Smith faces defamation suit
OFFICERS from Grafton Jail are suing the Attorney General Greg Smith and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for defamation.
Though neither statements of claim could be obtained, the Office of the Chief Justice confirmed yesterday both matters were set down for short appearances in the NSW Supreme Court (civil) next week - the ABC matter on Monday and the Smith matter on Thursday.
It is understood the ABC is being sued over the 7.30 Report's coverage of the Ian Klum coronial inquest earlier this year and Mr Smith is being sued over comments he made in a radio interview with a prominent Sydney-based broadcaster.
Traffic offender Ian Klum died in June 2010, three days after he was injured in an incident in his Grafton prison cell.
Plaintiffs in both matters are Corrective Services officers Matthew Barnett, David Pearcey and Richard Woelfl, who were all re-instated to their positions by the Industrial Relations Court on Wednesday when their appeals against unfair dismissals were upheld by Justice Harrison.
Further details on this story in Monday's Daily Examiner.
