Comcare v Dunkerley [2021] FCA 495

Federal Court of Australia

Comcare v Dunkerley [2021] FCA 495 File number: ACD 74 of 2019

Judgment of: ABRAHAM J

Date of judgment: 13 May 2021

Catchwords: BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY– creditor's petition for a sequestration order – where respondent debtor opposed creditor's petition and making of a sequestration order – whether a debt due in truth and reality – whether to 'go behind' a judgment – sequestration order made

Legislation: Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) ss 40, 43, 44, 52 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 20A Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cth) ss 16, 19

Cases cited: Corney v Brien [1951] HCA 31; (1951) 84 CLR 343 Culleton v Balwyn Nominees Pty Ltd [2017] FCAFC 8 Dunkerley v Comcare [2015] FCA 392 Dunkerley v Comcare [2015] FCA 1076 Dunkerley v Comcare [2015] FCA 1519 Dunkerley v Comcare [2019] FCA 1002 Dunkerley v Comcare [2020] FCAFC 8 Dunn, in the matter of Dunn v Vangsnes [2000] FCA 1051 Foots v Southern Cross Mine Management Pty Ltd [2007] HCA 56; (2007) 234 CLR 52 JH v Director General, Community Services Directorate [2012] ACTSC 30; (2012) 260 FLR 21 Kazar (Liquidator) v Kargarian; In the matter of Frontier Architects Pty Ltd (In Liq) [2011] FCAFC 136; (2011) 197 FCR 113 Kessly v Beadle as Trustee of the Bankrupt Estate of Evangelina Francisca Kessly [2020] FCA 607 Kitay, in the matter of Frigger (No 2) [2018] FCA 1032 Knudsen & Yates trading as The Hargreaves Practice, in the matter of Sanders v Sanders [2003] FCA 1079 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Land Act (Moonbi) [2014] NSWLEC 144 Oshlack v Richmond River Council [1998] HCA 11; (1998) 193 CLR 72 Ramsay Health Care Australia Pty Ltd v Compton [2017] HCA 28; 261 CLR 132 Sagacious Legal Pty Ltd v Wesfarmers General Insurance Ltd [2011] FCAFC 53 Sandell v Porter (1966) 115 CLR 666 Shaw v Yarranova Pty Ltd [2017] FCAFC 88; (2017) 252 FCR 262 Waterton v Lafferty [2019] FCA 1267 Wren v Mahoney [1972] HCA 5; (1972) 126 CLR 212