Compton v Ramsay Health Care Australia Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 106

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Compton v Ramsay Health Care Australia Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 106 Appeal from: Ramsay Health Care Australia Pty Ltd v Compton [2015] FCA 1207

File number: NSD 1578 of 2015

Judges: SIOPIS, KATZMANN AND MOSHINSKY JJ

Date of judgment: 17 August 2016

Catchwords: BANKRUPTCY – creditor's petition – creditor's petition based on failure to comply with bankruptcy notice requiring payment of judgment debt – judgment debtor contended that court of bankruptcy should 'go behind' judgment – principles applicable to 'going behind' a judgment – where petitioning creditor accepted that there was an "open question" whether any debt owing

Legislation: Bankruptcy Act 1924 (Cth), s 56(2)(a) Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth), ss 43, 52

Cases cited: Ahern v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (Qld) (1987) 76 ALR 137 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Jeans (2005) 3 ABC(NS) 712; [2005] FCA 978 Corney v Brien (1951) 84 CLR 343 Decor Corporation Pty Ltd v Dart Industries Inc (1991) 33 FCR 397 Evans v The Heather Thiedeke Group Pty Ltd (unreported; Full Federal Court; 28 September 1990) Ex parte Lennox; In re Lennox (1885) 16 QBD 315 Goyan v Motyka [2009] FCA 776 In re Flatau; Ex parte Scotch Whisky Distillers Ltd (1888) 22 QBD 83 In re Fraser; Ex parte Central Bank of London [1892] 2 QB 663 In re Hawkins; Ex parte Troup [1895] 1 QB 404 Joossé v Commissioner of Taxation (2004) 137 FCR 576 Katter v Melham (No 2) (2014) 319 ALR 646 Olivieri v Stafford (1989) 24 FCR 413 Petrie v Redmond (1942) 13 ABC 44 Ramsay Health Care Australia Pty Limited v Adrian Compton [2015] NSWSC 163 Udovenko v Mitchell (1997) 79 FCR 418 Wolff v Donovan (1991) 29 FCR 480 Wren v Mahony (1972) 126 CLR 212