Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey's claims that he was defamed by a series of articles about a fund-raising forum that offered access to him in exchange for donations of thousands of dollars could be heard by a jury.

Mr Hockey claims that, as a result of the articles published on May 5 by Fairfax Media, publisher of this website, he has been "greatly injured, shunned and avoided and his reputation has been and will be brought into disrepute, odium, ridicule and contempt".

Joe Hockey is suing Fairfax Media, publisher of this website. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In the Federal Court on Thursday, Fairfax Media's counsel Sandy Dawson said under Federal Court rules, a jury could be empanelled to decide if Mr Hockey was defamed.

Juries are rarely used in Federal Court trials.