Galactic Seven Eleven Litigation Holdings LLC v Davaria [2024] FCAFC 54

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Galactic Seven Eleven Litigation Holdings LLC v Davaria [2024] FCAFC 54 Appeal from: Davaria Pty Limited v 7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd (No 13) [2023] FCA 84

File number(s): VID 209 of 2023 VID 210 of 2023

Judgment of: MURPHY, LEE AND COLVIN JJ

Date of judgment: 2 May 2024

Catchwords: REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS – whether power to make a common fund order at the stage of settlement approval – the proper exercise of the discretion under s 33V(2) of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) – appeal allowed.

Legislation: Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 37M, 33V

Cases cited: Asirifi-Otchere v Swann Insurance (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 3) [2020] FCA 1885; (2020) 385 ALR 625 Augusta Pool 1 UK Limited v Williamson (2023) 111 NSWLR 378 BMW Australia Ltd v Brewster [2019] HCA 45; 269 CLR 574 Brewster v BMW Australia Ltd [2020] NSWCA 272 Cantor v Audi Australia Pty Ltd (No 5) [2020] FCA 637 Clime Capital Limited v UGL Pty Limited [2020] FCA 66 Commonwealth of Australia v SCI Operations Pty Ltd (1998) 192 CLR 285 Court v Spotless Group Holdings Limited [2020] FCA 1730 Davaria Pty Ltd v 7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd [2020] FCAFC 183; 281 FCR 501 Davaria Pty Ltd v 7-Eleven Stores Pty Ltd (No 13) [2023] FCA 84 Elliott-Carde v McDonald's Australia Ltd [2023] FCAFC 162 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 22; 230 CLR 89 FAI Insurances Ltd v Winneke (1982) 151 CLR 342 Fisher (trustee for the Tramik Super Fund Trust) v Vocus Group Limited (No 2) [2020] FCA 579 House v The King [1936] HCA 40; 55 CLR 499 Klemweb Nominees Pty Ltd (as trustee for the Klemweb Superannuation Fund) v BHP Group Limited [2019] FCAFC 107; 369 ALR 583 Kuterba v Sirtex Medical Limited (No 3) [2019] FCA 1374 Luke v Aveo Group Ltd (No 3) [2023] FCA 1665 McNamara v Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (2005) 221 CLR 646 Minister for Immigration v SZVFW [2018] HCA 30; 264 CLR 541 Money Max Int Pty Ltd (Trustee) v QBE Insurance Group Limited [2016] FCAFC 148; 245 FCR 191 Norbis v Norbis (1986) 161 CLR 513 Owners of "Shin Kobe Maru" v Empire Shipping Co Inc (1994) 181 CLR 404 Perera v GetSwift Ltd [2018] FCAFC 202; (2018) 263 FCR 92 Petersen Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd v Bank of Queensland Limited (No 3) [2018] FCA 1842 Uren v RMBL Investments Ltd (No 2) [2020] FCA 647 Vocus Group Ltd (No 2) [2020] FCA 579 Webb v GetSwift Limited (No 7) [2023] FCA 90; 165 ACSR 560 Webster (Trustee) v Murray Goulburn Co-Operative Co Limited (No 4) [2020] FCA 1053 Wong v Silkfield Pty Ltd [1999] HCA 48; 199 CLR 255 Ginnane T, "Indefinite Terms and Broad Discretion is: Statutory Interpretation Against an Indefinite Variety of Facts" in Barnes J (ed), The Coherence of Statutory Interpretation (2019) Grave D, Adams K and Betts J, Class Actions in Australia (3rd ed, 2022) Morabito V, Empirical perspectives on twenty-one years of funded class actions in Australia (April 2023) Morabito V, Group Costs Orders and Funding Commission (January 2024). Morabito V, Remuneration to Litigation Funders in the Post-Money Max Era (14 October 2020).