Impiombato v BHP Group Limited (No 5) [2024] FCA 591

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Impiombato v BHP Group Limited (No 5) [2024] FCA 591 File number(s): VID 649 of 2018

Judgment of: MURPHY J

Date of judgment: 6 June 2024

Catchwords: REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS – Practice and Procedure – application to amend group definition to expand the class, and for amendments to relate back to commencement of proceeding – application to amend to bring new claims for relief and for amendments to relate back to commencement of proceeding – relevant principles regarding such amendments and to correct a mistake – leave granted for amendments and for amendments to relate back.

Legislation: Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) s 12DA Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) ss 674, 1041H, 1041I, 1317HA, 1317K, 1322, and 1325 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 33K, 33M, 33ZE, 33ZF, and 59(2B) Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) rr 1.32, 1.33, 1.34 and 1.35, 8.21, and 16.53 Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Bill 1994 (Cth) Rules of the Supreme Court 1965 (UK) O 20 r 5 Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules (Vic) Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW) Pt 20 R 4 Supreme Court Rules 1986 (Vic) r 36.01

Cases cited: Alinta 2000 Pty Ltd v Petkov [2012] WASCA 258 Andrianakis v Uber Technologies (Ruling No 2) [2020] VSC 152 Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd v Australian National University [2009] HCA 27; 239 CLR 175 Ashby v Slipper [2014] FCAFC 15; 219 FCR 322 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Australian Property Custodian Holdings Ltd (No 2) [2013] FCA 409; 213 FCR 289 Austructures Pty Ltd v Makin [2014] VSC 544; 290 FLR 153 Baldry v Jackson [1976] 2 NSWLR 415 BHP Group Limited v Impiombato [2021] FCAFC 93 BHP Group Limited v Impiombato in [2022] HCA 33; 405 ALR 402 Bill v Northern Land Council [2018] FCA 1823 Binqld Finances Pty Ltd (in liq) v Binetter [2024] FCA 361 Brando Aus Holdo Pty Ltd v Shayne as representative of the persons identified in Schedule 1 [2021] NSWSC 998 Bray v F Hoffman-La Roche Ltd [2003] FCA 1505 Bridge Shipping Pty Ltd v Grand Shipping SA (1991) 173 CLR 231 Brightwell v RFB Holdings [2003] NSWSC 7; 171 FLR 464 Brirek Industries Pty Ltd v McKenzie Group Consulting (Vic) Pty Ltd [2014] VSCA 165; (2014) 48 VR 558 Brown v Jammal [1995] NSWCA 62 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Caason Investments Pty Ltd v Cao [2015] FCAFC 94; 236 FCR 322 Capic v Ford Motor Co of Australia Ltd (No 7) [2018] FCA 1631 Clough v Frog (1974) 4 ALR 615 Cropper v Smith (1884) 26 Ch D 700 Davies v Elsby Bros Ltd [1961] 1 WLR 170; [1960] 3 All ER 672 Dyczynski v Gibson [2020] FCAFC 120; 280 FCR 583 Environinvest Ltd (in liq) v Former Partnership of Webster, White, Gridley, Nairn, Newman, Peters and Miller [2012] FCA 1307; 208 FCR 376 Ethicon Sàrl v Gill [2018] FCAFC 137; 264 FCR 394 Evans Constructions Co Ltd v Charrington & Co Ltd [1983] QB 810 Gibson v Malaysian Airline System Berhad (No 2) [2017] FCA 701 Gill v Ethicon Sàrl (No 4) [2019] FCA 1814 Gladstone Ports Corporation Ltd v Murphy Operator Pty Ltd [2024] QCA 74 Impiombato v BHP Billiton Ltd (No 2) [2018] FCA 2045; 364 ALR 162 Impiombato v BHP Group Limited (No 2) [2020] FCA 1720 Impiombato v BHP Group Ltd (No 4) [2023] FCA 1354 Karl Suleman Enterprizes Pty Ltd (in liquidation) v Pham [2013] NSWSC 110 Klemweb Nominees Pty Ltd (as trustee for the Klemweb Superannuation Fund) v BHP Group Limited [2019] FCAFC 107; 369 ALR 583 Kuhl v Zurich Financial Services Australia Ltd [2011] HCA 11; 243 CLR 361 Lee v Parker (No 2) [2022] FCA 582 Lloyd Steel (Aust) Pty Ltd v Jade Shipping SA (1985) 1 NSWLR 212 McGraw-Hill Financial, Inc v Clurname Pty Ltd [2017] FCAFC 211; 123 ACSR 467 McMullin v ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd [1998] FCA 658; 84 FCR 1 Nikolay Malakov Shipping Co Ltd v SEAS Sapfor Ltd (1998) 44 NSWLR 371 Pharm-a-Care Laboratories Pty Ltd v Commonwealth of Australia (No 3) [2010] FCA 361; 267 ALR 494 Precision Plastics Pty Ltd v Demir [1975] HCA 27; 132 CLR 362 Research in Motion Ltd v Samsung Electronics Australia Pty Ltd [2009] FCA 320; 176 FCR 66 Revian v Dasford Holdings Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 777 Robinson, in the matter of Reed Constructions Australia Pty Ltd (in liq) v JFK Interiors Australia Pty Ltd [2015] FCA 1500 Ron Medich Properties Pty Ltd v Bentley-Smythe Pty Ltd [2010] FCA 494 Street v Luna Park Sydney Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 230 Timbercorp Finance Pty Ltd v Collins [2016] HCA 44; 259 CLR 212 Wallace (liquidator), in the matter of Avestra Asset Management Ltd (in Liq) v Dempsey [2021] FCA 1643 Wardley Australia Ltd v State of Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 Weldon v Neal (1887) 19 QBD 394 Willmott Forests Ltd (in liq) v Armstrong Dubois Pty Ltd [2016] VSC 61 Wong v Silkfield Pty Ltd [1999] HCA 48; 199 CLR 255