| Maher v Nationwide
News Pty Ltd [No 5] (WASC) - pleadings - defamation - false innuendo - paragraph of
statement of claim struck out - leave to replead |
| Kidd v The State of
Western Australia (WASCA) - contract - government agreement for construction of hotel
ratified by legislation - appeal dismissed |
| Munro v Munro (QSC) - superannuation
- self-managed fund - death benefit nomination form not binding under trust
deed - declaration refused |
| Metricon Homes Pty
Ltd v Hooper (VSC) - judicial review - house damaged due to movement in slab - VCAT
upheld owner’s claim against builder - appeal dismissed |
| Grills v Leighton
Contractors Pty Ltd (NSWCA) - work injury damages - police officer injured when boom gate
lowered in error - erroneous finding of contributory negligence - appeal
allowed in part |
| Ritson v Leighton (NSWCA) - security
for costs - defamation - security for costs of judicial review application
refused |
| Summaries With Link (Five Minute Read) |
Maher
-v- Nationwide News Pty Ltd [No 5]
[2015] WASC 103
Supreme Court of Western Australia
K Martin J
Pleadings - defamation - defendants
sought to strike out paragraphs of statement of claim raising false innuendo on
basis of presently pleaded imputation being either unduly obscure or failing to
disclose reasonable cause of action - O 20 r19(1)(c) & (a) Rules of the Supreme Court 1971 (WA) - held:
current plea was embarrassing - paragraph struck out with leave to replead.
Maher
|
Kidd
-v- The State of Western Australia
2[2015] WASCA 62
Court of Appeal of Western Australia
Martin CJ; Newnes & Murphy JJA
Contract - planning and development -
statutory interpretation - appellants owned or leased apartments near casino -
appellants objected to third respondent’s proposal to construct and operate
hotel as part of complex pursuant to Minister’s approval but without town planning
or development approval - respondents claimed no other approval required due to
combined effect of governmnet agreement and Casino
(Burswood Island) Agreement Act 1985 (WA) which authorised implementation
of agreement - held: appellants’ propositions rejected on basis they were
contrary to natural and ordinary meaning of words used in Act and agreement -
appeal dismissed.
Kidd
|
Munro
v Munro
[2015] QSC 61
Supreme Court of Queensland
Mullins
Superannuation - trusts and trustees - deceased
survived by wife and two daughters from previous marriage - dispute arose
between wife and daughters concerning benefits under self-managed
superannuation fund - whether deceased’s death benefit nomination had to comply
with requirements of reg 6.17A Superannuation
Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (Cth) - construction of nomination
- Trustee of Deceased’s Estate - held:
reg 6.17A did not apply to fund - nomination form did not comply with clauses
of trust deed or reg 6.22 SIS Regulations, as the nomination was of neither his
executors or one or more Nominated Dependants - nomination form not binding for
purpose of trust deed - daughters refused declaration that nomination form was a
binding death benefit nomination under trust deed.
Munro
|
Metricon
Homes Pty Ltd v Hooper
[2015] VSC 110
Supreme Court of Victoria
Digby J
Judicial review - Victorian Civil and
Administrative Tribunal upheld defendant owner’s claim for costs involved in
demolition and reconstruction of house damaged by unacceptable movement of slab
- Senior Member found earthen fill on which slab founded had not been
adequately compacted by plaintiff builder - builder claimed Senior Member had
no evidentiary basis upon which to conclude it imported and placed fill under
slab or that fill inadequately compacted - reasonableness of factual findings -
Wednesbury unreasonableness -
obligations to accord natural justice and to act fairly - application of Building Code of Australia 2006 - held: VCAT
erred in decision as to non-compliant placement of scoria - error was of no
consequence because VCAT correctly found other breaches by builder caused slab’s
unacceptable movement and distress to dwelling - appeal dismissed.
Metricon
|
Grills
v Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd
[2015] NSWCA 72
Court of Appeal of New South Wales
Beazley P; Barrett & Gleeson JJA
Work injury damages - police officer
injured in course of duties during security operation when motorcycle collided
with boom gate lowered on Eastern Distributer in error by motorway controller
employed by first respondent - plaintiff sued first respondent and State as his
employer - primary judge found respondents negligent - appellant appealed
against finding of liability against State and finding of contributory
negligence against him - ss3B, 5B, 5C, & 5R Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) - held: primary judge correct to find
first respondent breached duty of care by lowering boom gate - State owed breached
employer’s duty of care by failing to give clear directions to first respondent
as to what was required in closing Eastern Distributor for security operation -
apportionment not in error - primary judge erred in finding of contributory
negligence - appeal allowed in part.
Grills
|
Ritson
v Leighton
[2015] NSWCA 62
Court of Appeal of New South Wales
Ward JA
Security for costs - first respondent
sought security for costs and order that proceedings be stayed until security
provided - proceedings involved application for judicial review of decisions in
defamation proceedings which applicant brought against first respondent - r42.21
& 59.11 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules
2005 (NSW) - whether failure to provide residential address was with intention
to deceive - held: Court unable to conclude there was reason to believe applicant’s
failure to state his residential address on summons was with intention of
deceiving - threshold test to be satisfied in rr42.21(1)(b) & (c) not met -
power to award security of costs not enlivened - no exceptional circumstances
to permit order for security for costs of judicial review application.
Ritson
|
