Overview
- Justice Wendy Abraham ruled that Nine had established both contextual truth and the public interest defence, ending Dr Munjed Al Muderis’s lawsuit.
- The court found key allegations—that Al Muderis performed negligent osseointegration surgeries and provided inadequate aftercare—were substantially true.
- The decision marks the first major successful test of Australia’s 2021 public interest clause in defamation law.
- Evidence from 35 patients and 17 healthcare providers detailed patterns of alleged surgical negligence with serious, sometimes catastrophic, outcomes.
- Legal experts say the ruling strengthens protections for media outlets to publish investigative reports on matters of public concern.