Dagher v IAG Limited t/as NRMA Insurance [2020] NSWSC 1467

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Dagher v IAG Limited t/as NRMA Insurance [2020] NSWSC 1467 Hearing dates: 8 October 2020 Date of orders: 22 October 2020 Decision date: 22 October 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Administrative Law Before: Harrison AsJ Decision: The Court declares that: (1) The decision of the Review Panel dated 6 March 2020 is vitiated by jurisdictional error. The Court makes an order: (2) In the nature of certiorari removing into the Court the decision of the Review Panel dated 6 March 2020 and quashing that decision. The Court further orders that: (3) The matter is remitted to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority to be determined according to law. (4) The first defendant is to pay the plaintiff's costs on an ordinary basis. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – Judicial review – State Insurance Regulatory Authority – Jurisdictional error – Review of a certificate of a review panel – Failure to afford procedural fairness – Where the review panel furnished and relied upon an expert report without notice to the parties Legislation Cited: Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), ss 57, 57A, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63, 131, 133 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 69 Cases Cited: Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Rutland (2015) 73 MVR 211 Australian Associated Motor Insurers Ltd v Motor Accidents Authority of NSW (2010) 56 MVR 108 Boyce v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (2018) 96 NSWLR 356 Briggs v IAG Limited t/as NRMA Insurance [2020] NSWSC 1318 De Gelder v Rodger (No 2) (2014) 68 MVR 340 Francica v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd (2014) 71 MVR 537 Frost v Kourouche (2014) 86 NSWLR 214 Hossain v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2018) 264 CLR 123 Insurance Australia Group Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance v Saraceni [2020] NSWSC 1045 Kioa v West (1985) 159 CLR 550 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZMTA (2019) 264 CLR 421 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZGUR (2011) 241 CLR 594; (2011) 273 ALR 223 Partridge v IAG Ltd t/as NRMA Insurance (2019) MVR 36; [2019] NSWSC 127 Pascoe v Mechita Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 454 QBE Insurance (Aust) Ltd v Motor Accidents Authority (NSW) (2013) 63 MVR 470 QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd v Meredith (2017) 80 MVR 398 Re Refugee Review Tribunal, Ex parte Aala (2000) 204 CLR 82; (2000) 176 ALR 219 Wingfoot Australia Partners Pty Ltd v Kocak (2013) 252 CLR 480 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Nabil Dagher (Plaintiff) IAG Limited t/as NRMA Insurance (First Defendant) State Insurance Regulatory Authority of New South Wales (Second Defendant) Margaret Gibson, Neil Berry and Andrew Dixon in their capacity as the Medical Assessors' Review Panel (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: MA Robinson SC with J Lucy (Plaintiff) KP Rewell SC (First Defendant)