Kayler-Thomson v Colonial First State Investments Limited (No 2) [2021] FCA 854

Federal Court of Australia

Kayler-Thomson v Colonial First State Investments Limited (No 2) [2021] FCA 854 File number: VID 1313 of 2018

Judgment of: COLVIN J

Date of judgment: 27 July 2021

Catchwords: PRIVILEGE - application for production of documents for inspection - where respondent resists production on basis of claim to legal professional privilege - where proceedings concern conduct of first respondent as trustee of superannuation funds - where proceedings brought on behalf of members of superannuation funds - whether joint legal professional privilege exists between first applicant and first respondent as beneficiary and trustee - whether joint privilege principles between trustee and beneficiaries confined to small trusts with identifiable beneficiaries with vested interests - whether Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth) abrogates joint privilege between trustee and beneficiaries - whether disputed documents relate to management and administration of trust - application dismissed REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS - where first applicant is representative applicant of representative proceedings - where some documents created before first applicant became member of superannuation fund - where first applicant claims some members of class were joint privilege holders - whether first applicant as representative applicant entitled to claim production of discoverable documents on basis of joint privilege of class members

Legislation: Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Part IVA Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth)

Cases cited: AIT Investment Group Pty Ltd v Markham Property Fund No 2 Pty Ltd [2015] NSWSC 216 Asirifi-Otchere v Swann Insurance (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2020] FCA 1355 Attorney-General (NT) v Maurice (1986) 161 CLR 475 Avanes v Marshall [2007] NSWSC 191; (2007) 68 NSWLR 595 Benson v Cook [2001] FCA 1684; (2001) 114 FCR 542 Blenkinsop v Herbert [2017] WASCA 87; (2017) 51 WAR 264 Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71 Chan v Valmorbida Custodians Pty Ltd (Ruling) [2020] VSC 590 Coco v The Queen (1994) 179 CLR 427 CPT Custodian Pty Ltd v Commissioner of State Revenue [2005] HCA 53; (2005) 224 CLR 98 Crowe v Stevedoring Employees Retirement Fund Pty Ltd [2003] VSC 316 Daniels Corporation International Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2002] HCA 49; (2002) 213 CLR 543 Deutsch v Trumble [2016] VSC 263; (2016) 52 VR 108 Dillon v RBS Group (Australia) Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 896; (2017) 252 FCR 150 Dyczynski v Gibson [2020] FCAFC 120 Esso Australia Resources Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) [1999] HCA 67; (1999) 201 CLR 49 Farrow Mortgage Services Pty Ltd (in liq) v Webb (1996) 39 NSWLR 601 Fast v Rockman [2015] VSCA 61 Fay v Moramba Services Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 1428 Great Southern Managers Australia Ltd (Receivers and Managers Appointed) (in liq) v Clarke [2012] VSCA 207; (2012) 36 VR 308 Guest v Guest [2015] VSC 761 Hancock v Rinehart [2013] NSWSC 1402 Hancock v Rinehart [2015] NSWSC 2140 Hancock v Rinehart [2016] NSWSC 12 Hearne v Street [2008] HCA 36; (2008) 235 CLR 125 Kennon v Spry; Spry v Kennon [2008] HCA 56; (2008) 238 CLR 366 Krok v Szaintop Homes Pty Ltd (No 1) [2011] VSC 16 McDonald v Ellis [2007] NSWSC 1068; (2007) 72 NSWLR 605 Mercanti v Mercanti [2014] WASC 64 Palmer v Ayres [2017] HCA 5; (2017) 259 CLR 478 Queensland Local Government Superannuation Board v Allen [2016] QCA 325 Re Combined Projects (Arncliffe) Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 649 Re Estate Late Chow Cho-Poon; Application for Judicial Advice [2013] NSWSC 844 Re Gulbenkian's Settlement Trusts; Whishaw v Stephens [1970] AC 508 Re Londonderry's Settlement [1965] Ch 918 Re Simersall; Blackwell v Bray (1992) 35 FCR 584 Re Tillott [1892] 1 Ch 86 Schreuder v Murray (No 2) [2009] WASCA 145; (2009) 41 WAR 169 Schreuders v Grandiflora Nominees Pty Ltd [2014] VSC 310 Shimshon v MLC Nominees Pty Ltd [2020] VSC 640 Silkman v Shakespeare Haney Securities Ltd [2011] NSWSC 148 Spellson v George (1987) 11 NSWLR 300 Timbercorp Finance Pty Ltd (in liq) v Collins [2016] HCA 44; (2016) 259 CLR 212 Watson v Schreuder Partners Lawyers [2020] FCA 1044 Webster (Trustee) v Murray Goulburn Co-Operative Co Limited (No 3) [2018] FCA 990 Wigmans v AMP Limited [2021] HCA 7 Wright v Stevens [2018] NSWSC 548