A suspended life member of a Christchurch tennis club has taken the former president to the High Court, claiming he was defamed in comments made during an annual meeting three years ago.

Bruce McDowell claims then-president Richard Wild defamed him in 2023 after McDowell raised concerns about discrepancies in Burnside Park Tennis Club’s membership numbers.

McDowell is asking the court to declare he has been defamed and to order Wild to publish a correction of his comments and cover his legal fees.

McDowell is a tax accountant. Wild is a prominent veterinarian, a former president of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, current chair of Animal Welfare Network Aotearoa, and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in last year’s King’s Birthday Honours.

Documents released to The Star by High Court judge Lisa Preston show McDowell raised concerns between 2022 and 2023 the club’s membership committee had incorrectly recorded its membership numbers in reports to the regional body, Tennis Canterbury Region Incorporated, reducing the levies the club had to pay.

The committee had recorded 225 members, McDowell’s statement of claim said, when the correct number was 290.

In his statement of claim to the High Court, McDowell said he resigned from his role as business house tennis organiser and fundraiser in December 2022, over his concerns about the affiliation fees issue.

The management committee suspended McDowell’s life membership in May 2023.

McDowell’s statement of claim said: “A dispute ensued with the Management Committee ultimately accepting 290 members were subject to paying levies. Subsequently, by letter dated 2 May 2023 the Management Committee purported to suspend the plaintiff's (McDowell’s) life membership and advised he was ineligible to attend general meetings of the Club and unable to use courts without paying court fees.”

In his statement of defence, Wild said the case had been filed after the two-year limitation period outlined in the Limitation Act and should be struck out by the court.

Wild’s statement of defence said the club did not deliberately under-report membership figures or underpay its affiliation fees.

He said the problem came from casual members being recorded incorrectly, but the mistake had been raised with Tennis Canterbury, and the correct affiliation fees had since been paid.

Wild said McDowell’s suspension came after “repeated accusations by him (McDowell) over the way management committee members acted in relation to affiliation fees “together with other ongoing conduct which the committee considered inappropriate and contrary to the interests of the club”.

The club's annual meeting was held in July 2023. McDowell was excluded due to his suspension.

During the meeting, Wild made four statements which McDowell claims were defamatory, McDowell’s statement of claim says.

Judge Preston has restricted The Star from reporting those comments.

Among the statements was that the suspension of his life membership was justified.

McDowell’s statement of claim said the comments have damaged and/or were likely to damage his reputation.

In his statement of defence, Wild admitted making the statements but denied the alleged meanings and McDowell’s claim they were defamatory.

Wild’s statement of defence said his comments stated the fact the management committee disagreed with McDowell's claim the incorrect membership numbers were deliberate, and expressed opinions on McDowell’s conduct and its effect on committee members.

Wild denied any damage to McDowell’s reputation, and further said any damage had been caused by McDowell’s own conduct.

Wild’s statement of defence said the club had written to McDowell in May this year offering an agreed apology in writing and corrections and redactions to the annual meeting minutes.

In the statement of defence, Wild supplied a letter from the club where it invited McDowell to write a draft form of apology which the club would consider.

In McDowell’s statement of reply to the court, he said he had already supplied a draft apology months earlier, and had agreed with the club during a meeting in April that the club would draft an apology instead.

Wild said his statements should be protected by qualified privilege as they were made during an annual meeting and related to matters relevant to the discussion, including when a motion was raised regarding McDowell’s reinstatement as life member.

Wild also said the substance of each statement is “true or not materially different from the truth”. He said his statements were honest expressions of his opinion.

McDowell, Wild and the Burnside Park Tennis Club declined to comment to The Star.

The case will go to a judicial issues conference on February 18. If a resolution cannot be met, the case will go to trial.