Plastec Australia Pty Ltd ACN 093 513 467 v Plumbing Solutions and Services Pty Ltd ACN 128 873 629 [2010] FCA 327

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Plastec Australia Pty Ltd ACN 093 513 467 v Plumbing Solutions and Services Pty Ltd ACN 128 873 629 [2010] FCA 327 Citation: Plastec Australia Pty Ltd ACN 093 513 467 v Plumbing Solutions and Services Pty Ltd ACN 128 873 629 [2010] FCA 327

Parties: PLASTEC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD ACN 093 513 467 v PLUMBING SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES PTY LTD ACN 128 873 629, TONY GREGORY PURDON and RALPH T MARTIN

File number(s): QUD 272 of 2009

Judges: GREENWOOD J

Date of judgment: 7 April 2010

Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – consideration of an application to strike out parts of an amended statement of claim as disclosing no reasonable cause of action – consideration of Order 11, rule 16(a) of the Federal Court Rules – consideration of whether an email communication contains a representation of fact – consideration of whether the collection of words contained within the email amounts to an opinion – consideration of the test for striking out the pleading of a cause of action reliant upon the email – consideration of the ultimate question to be determined in the principal proceeding

Legislation: Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 52(1) Federal Court Rules, Order 11, rule 16(a)

Cases cited: General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 - applied Dey v Victorian Railways Commissioners (1949) 78 CLR 62 - applied Fancourt v Mercantile Credits Ltd (1983) 154 CLR 87 - applied Webster v Lampard (1993) 177 CLR 598 - applied Murex Diagnostics v Chiron Corp (1995) 55 FCR 194 - cited Re Elders Australia Ltd (No 2) [1997] FCA 1501 - cited Re Mark Turner v Kinian Pty Ltd [1992] FCA 396 - cited Kowalski v NMAL Staff Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd [2009] FCAFC 117; 178 FCR 401 - cited Taco Co of Australia Inc v Taco Bell Pty Ltd (1982) 42 ALR 177 - applied Butcher v Lachlan Realty Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 592 - cited Global Sportsman Pty Ltd v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1984) 2 FCR 82 - applied Campomar Sociedad Limitada v Nike International Ltd (2000) 202 CLR 45 - applied Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Dukemaster [2009] FCA 682 - cited Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Australian Dreamtime Creations Pty Ltd (2010) 263 ALR 487 - cited Tobacco Institute of Australia Ltd v Australian Federation of Consumer Organisations Inc (1992) 38 FCR 1 – applied