Cohen wins next round in defamation battle - 25 October 2005

The court has ruled that the jury’s verdict against one point Mr Bennette’s defamation action should stand.

Mr Bennette had appealed an earlier jury decision that had found Mr Cohen’s allegation - that the developer had done illegal work which severely damaged the environment - was not defamatory.

“This is a big loss for Mr Bennette. My lawyers have estimated that Mr Bennette could be up for approximately $50 000 to cover legal costs for this one appeal,” Mr Cohen said.

The rest of defamation case is expected to continue in court next year.

“My legal team is well prepared for the next round,” Mr Cohen said.