Habib v Commonwealth of Australia (No 2) [2009] FCA 228

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Habib v Commonwealth of Australia (No 2) [2009] FCA 228

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – summary judgment – whether defects in pleading incapable of being cured – whether leave to replead should be granted CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – executive power – s 61 of the Constitution – circumstances in which exercise of executive power amenable to review EQUITY – fiduciaries – whether Commonwealth owes fiduciary duty to its nationals – whether content of any such duty justiciable TORTS – negligence – whether Commonwealth owes duty of care to its nationals – misfeasance in a public office – whether aiding and abetting commission of criminal offence amounts to misfeasance – harassment – whether tort of harassment extends to mental distress Held: motion granted in part – pleading struck out – leave to replead granted Constitution ss 61, 76(i), 76(ii) Australian Federal Police Act 1979 (Cth) s 8 Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (Cth) s 17 Criminal Code (Cth) Ch 8 Div 268, s 11.2 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 31A Geneva Conventions Act 1957 (Cth) ss 6(2), 7 Federal Court Rules O 11 r 16 Geneva Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War (opened for signature 12 August 1949) 75 UNTS 135 (entered into force 21 October 1950) art 130 Geneva Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (opened for signature 12 August 1949) 75 UNTS 287 (entered into force 21 October 1950) art 147 A v Hayden (1984) 156 CLR 532 cited Alcorn v Anbro Engineering Inc 468 P2d 216 (1970) referred to Ansett Transport Industries (Operations) Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (1977) 139 CLR 54 cited Attorney-General v De Keyser's Royal Hotel Ltd [1920] AC 508 cited Attorney-General (UK) v Heinemann Publishers Pty Ltd (1988) 165 CLR 30 cited Barton v Commonwealth (1974) 131 CLR 477 cited Boston Commercial Services Pty Ltd v GE Capital Finance Australasia Pty Ltd (2006) 236 ALR 720 applied Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71 cited Case of Proclamations (1611) 12 Co Rep 74; 77 ER 1352 referred to China Navigation Company Ltd v Attorney General (1931) 40 Ll L Rep 110 referred to Chow Hung Ching v The King (1948) 77 CLR 449 cited City of Subiaco v Heytesbury Properties Pty Ltd (2001) 24 WAR 146 cited Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89 applied Gerhardy v Brown (1985) 159 CLR 70 cited Giller v Procopets [2008] VSCA 236 followed Gimson v Victorian Workcover Authority [1995] 1 VR 209 referred to Habib v Commonwealth of Australia [2008] FCA 1494 referred to Hamdan v Rumsfeld 548 US 557 (2006) referred to Hamdan v Rumsfeld 344 FSupp2d 152 (DDC 2004) referred to Hicks v Ruddock (2007) 156 FCR 574 considered Hospital Products Ltd v United States Surgical Corporation (1984) 156 CLR 41 referred to Hunter v Canary Wharf Ltd [1997] AC 655 considered Kuwait Airways Corporation v Iraqi Airways Company (Nos 4 and 5) [2002] 2 AC 883 applied Maguire v Makaronis (1997) 188 CLR 449 cited Mutasa v Attorney General [1980] QB 114 referred to Northern Territory of Australia v Mengel (1994) 185 CLR 307 applied Oppenheimer v Cattermole (Inspector of Taxes) [1976] AC 249 referred to Petrotimor Companhia de Petroleos SARL v Commonwealth of Australia (2003) 126 FCR 354 applied Potter v Broken Hill Pty Company Ltd (1906) 3 CLR 479 cited R v North and East Devon Health Authority; Ex parte Coughlan [2001] QB 213 referred to Re Ditfort; Ex parte Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (NSW) (1988) 19 FCR 347 applied Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs; Ex parte Lam (2003) 214 CLR 1 followed Rookes v Barnard [1964] AC 1129 cited Rush v Commissioner of Police (2006) 150 FCR 165 referred to Schlieske v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1988) 84 ALR 719 cited Stratford (JT) & Son Ltd v Lindley [1965] AC 269 cited Warman International Ltd v Dwyer (1994) 182 CLR 544 cited Wilkinson v Downton [1987] 2 QB 57 considered RP Balkin and JLR Davis, Law of Torts (3rd ed, LexisNexis Butterworths, 2004) F Trindade, P Cane and M Lunney, The Law of Torts in Australia (4th ed, OUP, 2007) M Scheinin, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, UN Doc A/HRC/10/3 (2009) MAMDOUH HABIB v THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA