ACCC v Leahy Petroleum [2004] FCA 1678

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA ACCC v Leahy Petroleum [2004] FCA 1678 TRADE PRACTICES – price-fixing understanding – whether communications between competitors concerning retail petrol price increases constitute evidence of an understanding that provides for the fixing or controlling of prices – whether participation in the communications and increasing the retail price of petrol constitute giving effect to the understanding – consideration of circumstances in which a servant's or agent's conduct in making and giving effect to a price-fixing understanding is binding on the principal COURTS – practice and procedure - submission of no case to answer – whether respondents should not be permitted to make no case submissions at the conclusion of the applicant's case unless all of the respondents elect not to call evidence EVIDENCE – whether the Ahern principle applies to persons involved in a contravention of s 45(2) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) – consideration of circumstances in which admissions of a servant or agent in relation to past events are admissible against the principal - consideration of circumstances in which false denials may constitute evidence of consciousness of guilt Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) ss 4(1), 45(2)(a)(ii), 45(2)(b)(ii), 45A, 75B(1) and 84(2) Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 57(2), 87(1)(b) and 87(1)(c) Federal Court Rules O 35 r1 Amadio v Henderson (1998) 81 FCR 149 Yorke v Lucas (1985) 158 CLR 661 Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Stereo FM Pty Ltd (1982) 44 ALR 557 Visy Paper Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2003) 201 ALR 414 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australian Medical Association Western Australia Branch Inc (2003) 199 ALR 423 News Limited v South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Limited (2003) 215 CLR 563 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Pauls Ltd (2003) ATPR 41-911 Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd v Stereo FM Pty Ltd (1983) 48 ALR 361 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v CC (NSW) Pty Ltd (No 8) (1999) 92 FCR 375 Trade Practices Commission v Parkfield Operations Pty Ltd (1985) 5 FCR 140 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Amcor Printing Papers Group Ltd (2000) 169 ALR 344 Trade Practices Commission v Service Station Association Limited (1993) 44 FCR 206 Trade Practices Commission v Email Ltd (1980) 31 ALR 53 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australian Safeway Stores Pty Ltd (2003) 129 FCR 339 Trade Practices Commission v David Jones (Australia) Pty Ltd (1986) 13 FCR 446 Rural Press Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2002) 118 FCR 236 Ahern v The Queen (1988) 165 CLR 87 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Trade Practices Commission v George Weston Foods Ltd. (No 2) (1980) 43 FLR 55 Menzies v Australian Iron & Steel Ltd. And Hill (1952) 52 SR (NSW) 62 Hummerstone v Leary [1921] 2 KB 664 James v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1986) 64 ALR 347 J-Corp Pty Ltd v Australian Builders Labourers Federation Union of Workers (Western Australian Branch) (No 2) (1992) 38 FCR 458 Trade Practices Commission v Allied Mills Industries Pty Ltd (No 3) (1981) 37 ALR 225 Trade Practices Commission v Queensland Aggregates Pty Ltd (1982) 44 ALR 391 Trade Practices Commission v TNT Management Pty Ltd (1985) 6 FCR 1 Lloyd v Grace, Smith & Co. [1912] AC 716 Trade Practices Commission v Tubemakers of Australia Ltd (1983) 47 ALR 719 Walplan Pty Ltd v Wallace (1985) 8 FCR 27 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australian Safeway Stores Pty Ltd (No 3) (2001) 119 FCR 1 Tesco Supermarkets Ltd. v Nattrass [1972] AC 153 Meridian Global Funds Management Asia Ltd v Securities Commission [1995] 2 AC 500 Armagas Ltd v Mundogas S.A. [1986] 1 AC 717 Clayton Robard Management Ltd & Anor v Siu (1988) 6 ACLC 57 Freeman & Lockyer v Buckhurst Park Properties [1964] 2 QB 480 Trade Practices Commission v Nicholas Enterprises Pty Ltd (1979) 26 ALR 609 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Mayo International Pty Ltd (1998) ATPR 41-653 Shears v Chisholm [1994] 2 VR 535 Edwards v The Queen (1993) 178 CLR 193 Challenge Charter Pty Ltd and Ors v Curtain Bros (Qld) Pty Ltd and Others [2004] VSC 1 R v Camilleri (2001) 119 A Crim R 106 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Weissensteiner v The Queen (1993) 178 CLR 217 Tradestock Pty Ltd v TNT (Management) Pty Ltd (1978) 17 ALR 257 Dowling v Dalgety Australia Limited (1992) 34 FCR 109 R v Blake & Tye (1844) 6 QB 126 Tripodi v The Queen (1961) 104 CLR 1 R v Masters (1992) 26 NSWLR 450 Milandinovic v The Queen (1993) 47 FCR 190 R v Associated Northern Collieries (1911) 14 CLR 387 Sheldon v Sun Alliance Limited (1988) 50 SASR 236 Sheldon v Sun Alliance Australia Limited (1989) 53 SASR 97 Italiano v Barbaro (1993) 40 FCR 303 Beach Petroleum NL v Johnson (1993) 43 FCR 1 Coomera Resort Pty Ltd v Kolback Securities Limited [2004] 1 Qd R 1 Maritime Union of Australia v Geraldton Port Authority (1999) 93 FCR 34 Hamilton v Whitehead (1988) 166 CLR 121 Nescor Industries Group Pty Ltd v MIBA Pty Ltd (1997) 150 ALR 633 ACCC v LEAHY PETROLEUM PTY LTD AND OTHERS V315 OF 2002 MERKEL J 17 DECEMBER 2004 MELBOURNE