Full Court dismisses million-dollar defamation appeal

3 November 2023 The Full Federal Court has unanimously upheld verdicts awarding damages of over $1.3 million to US-based Rod David and his film production company, Thunder Studios Inc, against Sydney-based Charif and Adam Kazal. The Kazals were found to have carried out a highly organised campaign of intimidation and vendetta, including by defamation, both online and by numerous other means including vans driven through Sydney’s CBD. Peter Gray SC and Mark Polden of 153 Phillip were counsel for Mr David and Thunder Studios throughout this long-running litigation, in the course of which Adam Kazal was also convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for contempt after deliberately breaching consent restraining orders and attempting to interfere with the administration of justice.