Quall v Northern Territory of Australia [2009] FCA 18

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Quall v Northern Territory of Australia [2009] FCA 18

NATIVE TITLE – application under O 20 r 4 for summary dismissal – native title determination application claim area split into areas A and B – earlier determination that no native title exists for area A because traditional Aboriginal society that existed at sovereignty had a substantial interruption in acknowledgement and observance of traditional laws and customs - issue estoppel– whether earlier determination decided what the relevant Aboriginal society was at sovereignty - whether earlier determination decided same issue – abuse of process - failure to claim particular Aboriginal society possessed native title rights and interests in earlier proceedings – whether an abuse of process to attempt to pursue that claim in proceedings for area B - whether earlier determination decided a similar issue

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – principles applicable to an application under O 20 r 4 for summary dismissal –issue estoppel – abuse of process – whether the current claim is a relitigation of the issue already determined in an earlier proceeding involving the same parties

Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 (Cth)

Risk v Northern Territory of Australia [2006] FCA 404 Quall v Risk [2001] FCA 378 Griffiths v Northern Territory of Australia (2006) 165 FCR 300 Risk v Northern Territory of Australia [2007] FCAFC 46 Members of the Yorta Yorta Aboriginal Community v Victoria [2002] HCA 58 Kuligowski v Metrobus (2004) 220 CLR 363 Ramsay v Pigram (1968) 118 CLR 271 Blair v Curran (1939) 62 CLR 464 PE Baker v Yehunda (1998) 15 NSWLR 437 Wong v Minister for Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs [2004] FCA 51 Brock v Minister for Justice and Customs [2007] FCA 2091 Wik Peoples v Queensland (1994) 49 FCR 1 WA v Ward (2000) 99 FCR 316 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 Batistatos v Road Traffic Authority (NSW) (2006) 226 CLR 256 Edward Landers v State of South Australia [2003] FCA 264 Williams v Grant [2004] FCAFC 178 Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung v Rayner and Keeler Ltd & Ors (No 2) (1966) 2 All ER 536 Ramsay v Pigram (1968) 181 CLR 271 Spalla v St George Motor Finance Ltd (No 6) [2004] FCA 1699 Sea Culture International Pty Ltd v Scoles(1991) 32 FCR 275 Walton v Gardiner (1993) 177 CLR 378 Coffey v Secretary, Department of Social Security (1999) 86 FCR 434 Brock v Minister for Home Affairs [2008] FCAFC 165 Djaigween v Douglas (1994) 48 FCR 535 Rogers v R (1994) 181 CLR 251 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589 State Bank of NSW v Stenhouse (1997) Australian Torts Reports 81-423 Agar v Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 522