Australian Competition & Consumer Commission CG Berbatis Holdings Pty (ACN 008 799 040) [2000] FCA 1376

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Competition & Consumer Commission v CG Berbatis Holdings Pty Ltd (ACN 008 799 040) [2000] FCA 1376

TRADE AND COMMERCE – prohibition against unconscionable conduct – landlord and tenant – renewal of leases – pending legal proceedings by tenants against landlords – landlords refusal to grant new lease unless released from pending legal proceedings – whether unconscionable conduct – nature of relationship between landlord and tenants – whether disadvantage or inequality – whether conduct involves unfair exploitation of disadvantage or inequality – misleading or deceptive conduct – representations as to future conduct

EQUITY – unconscionable conduct – scope of equitable doctrine – nature of disadvantage or inequality necessary to establish unconscionable conduct – nature of conduct.

Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) ss 51AA, 52

Commercial Tenancy (Retail Shops) Agreements Act 1985 (WA)

Blomley v Ryan (1957) 99 CLR 362 applied

Commercial Bank of Australia Limited v Amadio (1982) 151 CLR 447 applied

Louth v Diprose (1992) 175 CLR 621 applied

AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION v CG BERBATIS HOLDINGS PTY LTD (ACN 008 799 040), GPA PTY LTD (ACN 008 799 664), P & G INVESTMENTS PTY LTD (ACN 009 224 757), GEORGE PALASSIS ATZEMIS, CONSTANTINE GEORGE BERBATIS, ANNA MARIA ANTOINA HEIJNE, BRIAN SULLIVAN PROPERTY PTY LTD (ACN 075 946 244) and BRIAN EDWARD SULLIVAN

WG47 of 1998

FRENCH J

26 SEPTEMBER 2000

PERTH

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

WESTERN AUSTRALIA DISTRICT REGISTRY WG47 OF 1998

BETWEEN: AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION

Applicant

AND: CG BERBATIS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

(ACN 008 799 040)

First Respondent

GPA PTY LTD (ACN 008 799 664)

Second Respondent