Reinsurance Australia Corporation Limited v HIH Casualty and General Insurance Ltd (in liquidation) [2003] FCA 56

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Reinsurance Australia Corporation Limited v HIH Casualty and General Insurance Ltd (in liquidation) [2003] FCA 56 Practice & Procedure – Misleading and deceptive conduct alleged to have occurred during negotiations in respect of insurance and reinsurance contracts for the financing of film productions – four notice of motions seeking permanent or temporary stay of proceedings, dismiss or strike out of proceedings in part or in whole and/or seeking to set aside service of the originating process – connecting factors between Australian proceedings and proceedings currently on foot in the UK and USA - Loss or damage or "likely to suffer loss or damage" -forum non conveniens – whether clearly inappropriate forum. Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) ss 4(1), 5, 6, 51A, 52, 80, 82, 84 and 87 Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 1989 (Cth) ss 12AC, 12DA, 12GD, 12GF and 12GM Insurance Act 1973 (Cth) s 3(1) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) s 471B Federal Court Rules O 8 r 2, O 9 r 7, O 11 r 16 and O 20 r 2 (1) Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) ss 42, 65, 68 and 72 HIH Casualty and General Insurance Ltd v Chase Manhattan Bank [2001] 2 Lloyd's Rep 483 referred to Leda Holding Pty Ltd v Oraka Pty Ltd (1998) ATPR 41-601 followed Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589 referred to Voth v Manildra Flour Mills Pty Ltd (1990) 171 CLR 538 applied Sterling Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd v The Boots Company (Australia) Pty Ltd (1992) 34 FCR 287 applied Meyer Heine Limited v China Navigation Co Pty Ltd (1966) 115 CLR 10 referred to Trade Practices Commission v Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd (1990) 22 FCR 305 referred to Hunter Grain Pty Ltd v Hyundai Merchant Marine Co Ltd (1993) 117 ALR 507 referred to Bray v F Hoffman-La Roche Ltd and Ors (2002) 190 ALR 1 applied Bright v Femcare Ltd (2000) 175 ALR 50 considered Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd v Pfizer Pty Ltd (1992) 37 FCR 526 followed Marks v GIO Australia Holdings Ltd (1998) 196 CLR 494 followed Wardley Australia Ltd v The State of Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 followed March v E & M H Stramare Pty Ltd & Anor (1991) 171 CLR 506 referred to Akron Securities Ltd v Iliffe (1997) 41 NSWLR 353 approved Wells v John R Lewis (International) Pty Ltd (1975) 25 FLR 194 referred to General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 considered General Accident Fire & Life Assurance Corporation v Tanter (the "Zephyr") (1985) 3 ANZ Ins Cas 60-682 referred to Societe Anonyme D'Intermediaries Luxembourgeois v Farex [1995] LRLR 116 referred to Wickstead v Browne (1992) 30 NSWLR 1 approved Henry v Henry (1996) 185 CLR 571 followed CSR Ltd v Cigna Insurance Australia Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 345 applied Regie National Des Usines Renault SA v Zhang (2002) 76 ALJR 551 followed Agnew v Lansforsakringsbolagens AB [2001] 1 AC 223 considered Source Ltd v T.U.V. Rheinland Holding AG [1998] QB 54 referred to Fonderie Officine Tacconi SpA v Heinrich Wagner Sinto Maschinenfabrik GmbH (HWS) [2002] ECR 0 referred to Alfred Dunhill Ltd v Diffusion Internationale de Maroquinerie de Prestige SARL [2002] 1 All ER (Comm) 950 considered Domicrest Ltd v Swiss Bank Corporation [1999] QB 548 considered Raiffeisen Zentralbank Osterreich Ag v Alexander Tranos [2001] I.L Pr 9 considered Base Metal Trading Limited v Ruslan Borisovich Shamurin [2002] CLC 322 considered Commonwealth Bank of Australia v White (No 1) [1999] 2 VR 681 approved Commonwealth Bank v White (No 3) [2000] VSC 259 referred to Australian Commercial Research & Development Ltd v ANZ McCaughan Merchant Bank Ltd [1989] 3 All ER 65 applied Williams v The Society of Lloyds [1994] 1 VR 274 considered Gan Insurance Co Ltd v Tai Ping [1999] Lloyds Rep IR 472 referred to AIG Europe (UK) Ltd v Anonymous Greek Insurance [2000] Lloyds Rep IR 343 referred to Akai Pty Ltd v People's Insurance Co Ltd [1998] 1 Lloyds Rep 90 referred to Akai Pty Ltd v People's Insurance Company Ltd (1996) 188 CLR 418 referred to AIG Europe (UK) Limited & Ors v The Ethniki [2000] 2 All ER 566 referred to State of Western Australia v Wardley Australia Limited (1991) 30 FCR 245 referred to Demagogue Pty Ltd v Ramensky (1992) 39 FCR 31 referred to FAI General Insurance Co Ltd v Ocean Marine Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (1997) 41 NSWLR 116 applied McGuid v Office de Commercialisation et D'Exportation [1999] NSWSC 931 approved Wool International v Sedgwick Ltd (No 4) (Beaumont J, 2 October 1997, unreported) applied Continental Bank NA v Aeokos Cia Naviera SA [1994] 2 All ER 540 referred to Hi-Fert Pty Ltd v Kiukiang Maritime Carriers Inc (No 5) (1998) 90 FCR 1 applied Paper Products Pty Ltd v Tomlinsons (Rochdale) Ltd (1993) 43 FCR 439 referred to Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996) 186 CLR 541 followed Sutton Insurance Law in Australia 3rd Ed 1999 Dicey and Morris The Conflict of Laws 13th Ed 2000 Reinsurance Australia Corporation Limited (ACN 061 215 601) & Monegasque De Reassurances S.A.M. v HIH Casualty and General Insurance (In Liquidation) (ACN 47 008 482 291), AIG Europe (UK) Ltd and New Hampshire INSURANCE Company, Heath Group Limited (formerly CE Health plc), Heath Insurance Broking Ltd formerly CE Heath (Insurance Broking) Ltd and Heath North America and Special Risks Ltd, Ice Media Limited and Premier Media Limited & J P Morgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank, formerly known as Chemical Securities Inc) N827 of 2002 JACOBSON J SYDNEY 7 FEBRUARY 2003