Polar Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (No 4) [2011] FCA 1126

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Polar Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (No 4) [2011] FCA 1126 Citation: Polar Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (No 4) [2011] FCA 1126

Parties: POLAR AVIATION PTY LTD (ACN 007 986 834) and CLARK ANDREW BUTSON v CIVIL AVIATION SAFETY AUTHORITY, TERENCE FARQUHARSON, GARRY PRESNEILL, ROBERT COLLINS, JIM MARCOLIN, PETER JOHN and ALAN COOK

File number: VID 255 of 2010

Judge: KENNY J

Date of judgment: 30 September 2011

Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – application to strike out pleadings under the Rules of Court – whether pleadings disclosed no reasonable cause of action – where respondent is a statutory body – statutory body cannot owe a duty of care where that duty inconsistent with its statutory duties and responsibilities – primary obligation of statutory body is air safety – alleged duty of care inconsistent with this primary obligation – no relevant statutory duty under the Civil Aviation Act 1988 (Cth) or under Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (Cth) – duties under the latter Act owed to the authority and not to third parties – no action for unlawful interference with trade or business interests in respect of alleged unlawful exercise of statutory power by public office holder – consideration of elements of tort of unlawful interference with trade or business interests – elements not present in pleading – failure adequately to particularise tort of misfeasance in public office – pleading embarrassing – pleading struck out – no leave to re-plead PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – summary dismissal application pursuant to s 31A(2) of Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) – applicable tests – where entirety of pleadings struck out – where ample opportunity to plead a reasonable cause of action – whether proceeding has no reasonable prospect of success – application dismissed Legislation: Civil Aviation Act 1988 (Cth) Federal Court Rules 1979 (Cth) Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Civil Aviation Regulations 1988 (Cth) Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 (Cth) Cases cited: Polar Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (2010) 267 ALR 530 Polar Aviation Pty v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (No 2) (2010) 267 ALR 547 Philip Morris Inc v Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd (1981) 148 CLR 457 Wride v Schulze [2004] FCAFC 216 Energex Limited v Alstom Australia Limited (2005) 225 ALR 504 Repacholi Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority [2010] FCA 994 Spencer v Commonwealth (2010) 241 CLR 118 White Industries Australia Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (2007) 160 FCR 298 Imobilari Pty Ltd v Opes Prime Stockbroking Ltd (2008) 252 ALR 41 Shi v Migration Agents Registration Authority (2008) 235 CLR 286 Civil Aviation Safety Authority v Hotop (2005) 145 FCR 232 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422 Stuart v Kirkland-Veenstra (2009) 237 CLR 215 Pyrenees Shire Council v Day (1988) 192 CLR 330 Graham Barclay Oysters Pty Ltd v Ryan (2002) 211 CLR 540 Commonwealth of Australia v Griffiths (2007) 70 NSWLR 268 Repacholi Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (2009) 263 ALR 93 The Council of the Shire of Sutherland v Heyman (1985) 157 CLR 424 Kirkland-Veenstra with Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (1999) 200 CLR 1 W v Home Office [2007] Imm AR 302 Fernando v Commonwealth (2010) 188 FCR 188 Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Limited (2004) 216 CLR 515 Precision Products (NSW) Pty Limited v Hawkesbury City Council (2008) 74 NSWLR 102 State of New South Wales v Paige (2002) 60 NSWLR 371 Byrne v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410 Porter v OAMPS Ltd (2005) 215 ALR 327 Calveley v Chief Constable of Merseyside Police [1989] 1 AC 1228 Gimson v Victorian Workcover Authority [1995] 1 VR 209 CGU Workers Compensation (NSW) Ltd v Garcia (2007) 69 NSWLR 680 Flanagan v Commissioner of Australian Federal Police (1996) 60 FCR 149 Beaudesert Shire Council v Smith (1966) 120 CLR 145 Northern Territory v Mengel (1995) 185 CLR 307 Sanders v Snell (1998) 196 CLR 329 Beach Petroleum NL v Johnson (1993) 43 FCR 1 Deepcliffe Pty Ltd v Council of the City of Gold Coast [2001] QCA 342 Canberra Data Centres Pty Ltd v Vibe Constructions (ACT) Pty Ltd (2010) 173 ACTR 33 OBG Ltd v Allan [2008] 1 AC 1 Berezovsky v Abramovich [2011] EWCA Civ 153 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Futuris Corporation (2008) 237 CLR 146 Banque Commerciale SA, en liquidation v Akhil Holdings Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 279 Pharm-a-Care Laboratories Pty Ltd v Commonwealth of Australia (No 3) (2010) 267 ALR 494 Three Rivers District Council v Bank of England (No 3) [2003] 2 AC 1