Katter v Melhem (No 2) [2014] FCA 1176

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Katter v Melhem (No 2) [2014] FCA 1176 Citation: Katter v Melhem (No 2) [2014] FCA 1176

Parties: JOSEPH KATTER and SUSAN VERA KATTER v ROBERT GEORGE MELHEM

File number: NSD 1689 of 2013

Judge: WIGNEY J

Date of judgment: 6 November 2014

Catchwords: BANKRUPTCY – application to set aside bankruptcy notice – judgment entered against the applicants in the District Court of NSW after action compromised and terms of settlement agreed – power of the Court to go behind a judgment – principles relevant to the Court's discretion – claim that judgment unsupported by consideration because original action not bona fide – claim that District Court jurisdiction exceeded – claim that terms of settlement operated as a penalty

Legislation: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) District Court Act 1973 (NSW) Duties Act 1997 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW)

Cases cited: Chancliff Holdings Pty Ltd v Bell [1999] FCA 1708 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Jeans [2005] FCA 978 Corney v Brien (1951) 84 CLR 343 Cumins v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (2008) 172 FCR 425 Emerson v Wreckair Pty Ltd (1992) 33 FCR 581 Ex parte Banner; In re Blythe (1881) 17 Ch D 480 Eyres v Butt [1986] 2 Qd R 243 General Credits Limited v Ebsworth [1986] 2 Qd R 162 Harrison v Charalambous [1999] FCA 902 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Lachlan v HP Mercantile Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 356 Olivieri v Stafford (1989) 24 FCR 413 Petrie v Redmond (1942) 13 ABC 44 Re Cosimo Longo Ex parte: Cosimo Longo [1995] FCA 1324 Re Flatau; Ex parte Scotch Whisky Distillers Ltd (1888) 22 QBD 83 Re Riviere; Ex parte Original Mont de Piete Ltd (1919) 20 SR (NSW) 77 Re Wong; Ex parte Kitson (1979) 27 ALR 405 Richards v Cornford (2010) 76 NSWLR 572 Smith v Abbott, Stillman & Wilson [2007] FCA 1256 Wigan v Edwards (1973) 1 ALR 497 Woodward Pty Limited v Kelleher [1989] NSWCA 82 Wren v Mahoney (1972) 126 CLR 212