![JUDGEMENTS | When a former PM took on the media [Lange v ABC]](https://www.omnycontent.com/d/programs/820f09cf-2ace-4180-a92d-aa4c0008f5fb/c13eba7a-5d9e-4f30-9fee-b03b00657219/image.jpg?t=1688969496&size=Large)
0:000:00
<p>In the early 1990s, former New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange found himself at the center of a defamation storm in Australia.</p> <p>The ABC re-broadcast allegations suggesting he acted improperly while in office. Lange sued, sparking a legal battle that reached the High Court and tested the limits of free political communication under the Constitution. <em data-start="455" data-end="468">Lange v ABC</em> set a landmark precedent: political speech is protected, but not at the expense of personal reputation.</p> <p>In this episode, we unpack the courtroom drama, the judgment, and the enduring impact on media, politics, and the law in Australia.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>