Campbell v McIntyre [2026] FCA 1279 — Federal Court Findings Explained

In August 2026, Justice Derrington of the Federal Court of Australia published a judgment that confirmed, from Adrian James Campbell's own sworn admissions, a criminal and consumer-law history spanning more than a decade.

The case — Campbell v McIntyre (No 2) [2026] FCA 1279 — began as a dispute between two business partners over a Lombok land development. It became something more significant: a public record of material misrepresentations made to a Federal Court by a person seeking urgent injunctive relief.

The Ex Parte Application

On 8 May 2026, Campbell filed an originating application in the Federal Court (File number QUD 273 of 2026) seeking urgent interim injunctions requiring McIntyre to remove online publications — including a video titled "Investor Update for effecting Kinnara clients from Marina Bay City buyout" — and restraining further publication.

Campbell's case was that McIntyre had published videos and articles containing false allegations about fraud, misconduct, misappropriation of money, and that Campbell was unable to return to Australia due to fear of arrest. He submitted that the publications had caused him "substantial harm, being a loss of approximately $25,000,000 in contract sales."

The application was heard on 21 May 2026 at an ex parte hearing — meaning Campbell appeared before the court without notice to McIntyre. The court granted an interim injunction.

The Three Material Non-Disclosures

When the matter returned to court in August 2026, Justice Derrington identified three significant non-disclosures that Campbell had made:

1. Country of Residence

Campbell was presented as an Australian resident engaged in business in Indonesia. In fact, Campbell resides in Thailand. The court had been "led to believe, wrongly, that it was dealing with a dispute between two Australian residents in relation to overseas business interests."

2. The Nature of the $25 Million Loss

Campbell claimed a personal loss of $25 million. Justice Derrington found: "It is now apparent that those losses have not been incurred by Mr Campbell personally, but rather by companies which he controls or in which he holds an interest. Importantly, those companies are not parties to these proceedings."

3. The Criminal History

In his original affidavit, Campbell denied any criminal history. His corrected affidavit, filed 10 August 2026, acknowledged:

• A 2012 fraud conviction
• Five ACL convictions in 2015 (International Solar Solutions): $10,000 fine + $18,355 restitution
• Eleven ACL convictions in 2018 (Eco Boss Pty Ltd): $85,000 fine + $102,200 compensation

The Court's Response

Justice Derrington found that the three non-disclosures were "significant and sufficient to warrant setting aside the interim injunction." The injunction was discharged. The court ordered Campbell to pay 80% of McIntyre's legal costs on an indemnity basis — one of the most severe costs orders available in Australian litigation.