THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA V. WESTERN ARMS CORPORATION
High Court of Australia
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iN THE HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA
THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
_.. WESTERN ARMS CORPORATION
onc
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
(ORAL)
NV EL BOURNE
ahs arr
5 Novemdé he
JUDGMENT
(ORAL)
THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
WESTERN ARMS CORPORATION
FULLAGAR J.
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THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
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WESTERN ARMS CORPORATION
This is a Summons under Order 11, Rule 5, the
application being that I should discharge an order made by me
on 11th March of this year. That order gave leave to issue a
writ, notice of which was to be served outside the Commonwealth,
and also gave leave to serve notice of the writ in the United
States of America.
The action is an action for damages for breach of
an alleged contract for sale of goods by the plaintiff to the
defendant, the breach alleged being a refusal or failure to take
delivery of the greater part of the goods alleged to have been
sold.
My order on 11th March was made on an application
under Order 10, Rule 1, the plaintiff maintaining that the case
falls within paragraphs (e)(i), (e)(iii) and (f£) of sub-rule (1)
of that rule. That is to say it claimed that the action is one
brought to recover damages for breach of a contract made within
the Commonwealth, that the contract is governed by the law of
the Commonwealth or a State or Territory of the Commonwealth,
and that the breach was committed within the Commonwealth.
It is, of course, sufficient for the plaintiff to
establish that the case falls within any one of the three
categories. The jurisdiction of the court in respect of the
subject matter of the action is given by s. 75(iii) of the
Constitution, the matter being one to which the Commonwealth is
a party.
The plaintiff put before me in March, and I have
before me now, particulars of the alleged contract which it seeks
to enforce. That contract, if a contract was made, required, in
my opinion, that delivery of the goods should be given and taken
2.
within the Commonwealth. It follows that the alleged breach,
which is non-acceptance, was committed, if it was committed,
within the Commonwealth. It follows that the defendant's
application must fail, and I do not find it necessary to
consider whether the case falls also within paragraph (e) (i)
or paragraph (e)(iii) of Rule 10(1).
The summons is dismissed with costs. I certify
for Counsel.
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