Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd (ACN 004 576 103) v Esso Australia Ltd [2000] FCA 1572

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd (ACN 004 576 103) v Esso Australia Ltd [2000] FCA 1572

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – pleadings – statement of claim – cause of action in misleading or deceptive conduct – successive amendments – strike out – leave to replead – order allowing amendment – leave to appeal against order – whether necessary – whether order is interlocutory or final – criteria for grant of leave – determination whether repleaded claim tenable – criteria – representative proceeding – whether representative proceeding can continue on non-federal claim in accrued jurisdiction if federal claim untenable. TRADE AND COMMERCE – misleading or deceptive conduct – monopoly supply of essential service – supply of gas – whether pleaded assumption by users of qualified continuity tenable – failure to correct or further qualify assumptions – whether misleading or deceptive – silence or non-disclosure as misleading or deceptive conduct. NEGLIGENCE – economic loss through interruption of gas supplies to users – liability of gas producer for interruption derived from explosion and fire at gas plant – intervening chain of contracts – statutory and contractual limitations of liability – whether no reasonable cause of action – whether law is still developing. COURTS AND JUDICIAL SYSTEM – federal jurisdiction – accrued jurisdiction – scope – federal claim – whether trivial or insubstantial part of matter – whether colourable – whether strike out of federal claim deprives court of accrued jurisdiction to decide non-federal claim – criteria for definition of accrued jurisdiction – discretion to exercise – nature of discretion – functional overlap with assessment of scope of jurisdiction – principles informing discretion. Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Part IVA, s 24, s 33G Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) s 52, s 87, s 82 Fair Trading Act 1985 (Vic) s 37 Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross Vesting) Act 1987 (Cth) Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross Vesting) Act 1987 (Vic) s 4 Gas Industry Act 1994 (Vic) Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Ltd (1999) ATPR 41-679 considered Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Ltd [1999] FCA 477 considered Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Ltd [1999] FCA 569 considered Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Ltd (2000) ATPR 41-743 considered Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Ltd (No 2) (2000) 97 FCR 175 considered Burgundy Royale Investments Pty Ltd v Westpac Banking Corporation (1987) 18 FCR 212 applied Unilan Holdings Pty Ltd v Kerin (1993) 44 FCR 481 cited Hooper v Kirella Pty Ltd (1999) 96 FCR 1 cited Carr v Finance Corporation of Australia Ltd [No 1] (1981) 147 CLR 246 cited Hall v Nominal Defendant (1966) 117 CLR 423 cited Licul v Corney (1976) 180 CLR 213 cited Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd v Philip Morris Inc (1981) 148 CLR 170 discussed, followed In re the Will of FB Gilbert (dec) (1946) 46 SR(NSW) 318 cited Ex parte Bucknell (1936) 56 CLR 221 cited Décor Corporation Pty Ltd v Dart Industries Inc (1991) 33 FCR 397 cited Minogue v Williams [2000] FCA 125 cited Little v State of Victoria [1998] 4 VR 596 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 cited Empire Shipping Co Inc v Owners of the Ship "Shin Kobe Maru" (1991) 32 FCR 78 cited Coe v Commonwealth of Australia (1979) 53 ALJR 403 cited Williams & Humbert Ltd v W & H Trademarks (Jersey) Ltd [1986] 1 AC 368 cited Sun Earth Homes Pty Ltd v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1990) 45 FCR 265 cited Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australian & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (Fed Ct 13.9.94 Beaumont J) referred to X (Minors) v Bedfordshire County Council [1995] 2 AC 633 cited Agar v Hyde (2000) 173 ALR 665 cited Keehn v Medical Benefits Fund of Australia Ltd (1977) 14 ALR 77 cited Weitmann v Katies Ltd (1977) 29 FLR 336 cited Parkdale Custom Built Furniture Pty Ltd v Puxu Pty Ltd (1982) 149 CLR 191 cited Rhone-Poulenc Agrochimie SA v UMI Chemical Services Pty Ltd (1986) 12 FCR 477 cited Campomar Sociedad Limitada v Nike International Ltd (2000) 169 ALR 677 cited Taco Co of Australia Inc v Taco Bell Pty Ltd (1982) 42 ALR 177 cited Hornsby Building Information Centre Pty Ltd v Sydney Building Information Centre Ltd (1978) 140 CLR 216 cited Annand & Thompson Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1979) 25 ALR 91 cited Brock v Terrace Times Pty Ltd (1982) 56 FLR 464 cited SAP Australia Pty Ltd v Sapient Australia Pty Ltd (1999) 169 ALR 1 discussed McWilliam's Wines Pty Ltd v McDonald's System of Australia Pty Ltd (1980) 49 FLR 455 discussed Fraser v NRMA Holdings Ltd (1995) 55 FCR 452 applied Demagogue Pty Ltd v Ramensky (1992) 39 FCR 31 applied Bryan v Maloney (1995) 182 CLR 609 discussed Voli v Inglewood Shire Council (1963) 110 CLR 74 cited Perre v Apand Pty Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 180 applied Astley v Austrust Ltd (1999) 197 CLR 1cited Philip Morris Inc v Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd (1981) 148 CLR 457 discussed, followed Fencott v Muller (1983) 152 CLR 570 discussed, followed PCS Operations Pty Ltd v Maritime Union of Australia (1998) 153 ALR 520 applied Abebe v Commonwealth (1999) 197 CLR 510 cited Re Wakim; Ex parte McNally (1999) 198 CLR 511 applied R v Bevan; Ex parte Elias (1942) 66 CLR 452 cited Moorgate Tobacco Co Ltd v Philip Morris Ltd (1980) 145 CLR 457 cited Dorotea Pty Ltd v Vancleve Pty Ltd (1987) 75 ALR 629 cited Elna Australia Pty Ltd v International Computers (Australia) Pty Ltd (1987) 16 FCR 410 applied Carlton and United Breweries Ltd v Castlemaine Tooheys Ltd (1986) 161 CLR 543 cited Vietnam Veterans' Affairs Association of Australia New South Wales Branch Inc v Cohen (1996) 70 FCR 419 cited Post Office Agents Association Ltd v Australian Postal Commission (1988) 84 ALR 563 cited Buck v Comcare (1996) 66 FCR 359 cited Mercator Property Consultants Pty Ltd v Christmas Island Resort Pty Ltd (1999) 94 FCR 384 cited Khatri v Price (1999) 95 FCR 287 cited Nikolic v MGICA Ltd [1999] FCA 849 cited R v Langdon; Ex parte Langdon (1953) 88 CLR 158 cited Voth v Manildra Flour Mills Pty Ltd (1990) 171 CLR 538 discussed Spiliada Maritime Corp v Cansulex Ltd [1987] AC 460 referred to Stack v Coast Securities (No 9) Pty Ltd (1983) 154 CLR 261 discussed Commonwealth v Mewett (1997) 191 CLR 471 cited John Pfeiffer Pty Ltd v Rogerson (2000) 172 ALR 625 cited Lipohar v R (1999) 168 ALR 8 cited Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1997) 189 CLR 520 cited Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (1996) 189 CLR 51 cited Australian Competition and Consumer Commissioner v CG Berbatis Holdings Pty Ltd (2000) 96 FCR 491 cited JOHNSON TILES PTY LTD AND OTHERS v ESSO AUSTRALIA PTY LTD AND ANOTHER, STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA AND OTHERS, BHP PETROLEUM (BASS STRAIT) PTY LTD VG 519 of 1998 VG 524 of 1998 BEAUMONT, FRENCH AND FINKELSTEIN JJ 8 NOVEMBER 2000 MELBOURNE