Hancock v Rinehart [2020] NSWSC 1853

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Hancock v Rinehart [2020] NSWSC 1853 Hearing dates: 29 May and 5 August 2020 Decision date: 17 December 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: 1. Dismiss the application by Bianca for delivery up of the Bankruptcy Transcripts, other than in respect of any Bankruptcy Transcripts presently in the actual possession of Gina. 2. Order the delivery up to Bianca by Gina of the Sceales Files and any Bankruptcy Transcripts referred to in Order 1, but stay the execution of this order pending determination of the Martin Arbitration. 3. To the extent necessary, dispense with the requirement for production by Gina of the Sceales Files and any Bankruptcy Transcripts referred to in Order 1 until after the determination of the Martin Arbitration. 4. Dismiss the application for an injunction to restrain Bianca from taking steps to pursue the WA Access Application. 5. Direct the parties to file brief written submissions within 7 days as to costs with a view to dealing with that issue on the papers. 6. Liberty to apply on 7 days' notice. Catchwords: EQUITY — Trusts and trustees — Proceedings between trustees and beneficiaries — Administration of trust — Access to trust documents CIVIL PROCEDURE — Stay — Pending proceedings in other court — Arbitration — Comity and other considerations Legislation Cited: Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth), ss 81, 120 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 61 Commercial Arbitration Act 2010 (NSW), s 27E Court Suppression and Non-publication Orders Act 2010 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 138, s 140(2)(c) Rules of the Supreme Court 1971 (WA), O 67B, Div 7, r 16(2) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 2.1 Cases Cited: Addstead Pty Ltd (in liq) v Simmons (No 2) (2005) 238 LSJS 189; [2005] SASC 25 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (No 1) (1996) 64 FCR 1 Beneficial Finance Corporation Limited v Price Waterhouse (1996) 68 SASR 19 Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71; [1996] HCA 57 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Broad Construction Services (WA) Pty Ltd v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union of Workers [2007] WASC 133 Butt v Kelson [1951] 1 Ch 197 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v ACN 076 848 112 Pty Limited [2015] NSWSC 666 CSR Ltd v Cigna Insurance Australia Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 345 CSR Ltd v New Zealand Insurance Co Ltd (1994) 36 NSWLR 138 Evans v Davantage Group Pty Ltd (No 2) [2020] FCA 473 Grimwade v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) (1949) 78 CLR 199; [1949] HCA 9 Hancock Family Memorial Foundation v Fieldhouse (2005) 30 WAR 398; [2005] WASCA 93 Hancock Family Memorial Foundation v Fieldhouse (No 5) [2013] WASC 121 Hancock Family Memorial Foundation v Fieldhouse [2004] WASC 59 Hancock Family Memorial Foundation v Lowe [2015] WASCA 38; (2015) 320 ALR 337 Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd v Estate of Hancock [1999] FCA 295 Hancock v Rinehart (Freehills Subpoena) [2017] NSWSC 530 Hancock v Rinehart (Trust Documents) [2018] NSWSC 1684 Hancock v Rinehart [2013] NSWSC 1402 Hancock v Rinehart [2015] NSWSC 646; (2015) 106 ACSR 207 Hancock v Rinehart [2019] NSWSC 1451 Hartigan Nominees Pty Ltd v Rydge (1992) 29 NSWLR 405 Hilton v Guyot (1895) 159 US 113 In the matter of the Bird Charitable Trust (2012) (1) JLR 62 Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC v Bega Cheese Ltd [2018] FCA 549; (2018) 358 ALR 1 Kriewaldt v Independent Direction Ltd (1995) 14 ACLC 73 Maclachlan v Browne & Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2018] NSWSC 1976 McGuirk v University of New South Wales [2010] NSWCA 104 National Mutual Holdings Pty Ltd v Sentry Corporation (1989) 22 FCR 209 Rambal v Oswal [2014] WASC 86 Re Siromath Pty Ltd (No 3) (1991) 25 NSWLR 25 Rinehart v Rinehart (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 235 Rinehart v Rinehart [2019] NSWCA 54 Rinehart v Rinehart [2020] NSWSC 68 Robertson v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1952) 86 CLR 463; [1952] HCA 71 Salomon (Pauper) v A Salomon and Co Ltd [1897] AC 22 Short v Treasury Commissioners [1948] 1 KB 116 Short v Treasury Commissioners [1948] AC 534 South Australia v Barrett (1995) 64 SASR 73 Tiger v Barclays Bank Ltd [1952] 1 All ER 85 Waterhouse v Waterhouse (1998) 46 NSWLR 449 Wentworth v De Montfort (1988) 15 NSWLR 348 Wigmans v AMP Ltd [2018] NSWSC 1118 Wileypark Pty Ltd v AMP Ltd (2018) 265 FCR 1; [2018] FCAFC 143 Wollongong Coal Ltd v Gujarat NRE Properties Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 254 Wright v Lemon [2020] WASC 33 Texts Cited: Davies, M, A S Bell, P L G Brereton and M Douglas, Nygh's Conflict of Laws in Australia (10th ed, 2020, LexisNexis) Horne, F T, Cordery on Solicitors (8th ed, 1988, Butterworth & Co) Tucker, L, N Le Poldevin and J Brightwell in Lewin on Trusts (20th ed, 2020, Sweet & Maxwell) Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: John Langley Hancock (Second Plaintiff) Bianca Hope Rinehart (Third Plaintiff) Gina Hope Rinehart (First Defendant) Ginia Hope Frances Rinehart (Second Defendant) Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (Third Defendant) Hope Rinehart Welker (Fourth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: CH Withers with AM Hochroth (Plaintiffs) CN Bova SC with TE O'Brien (First Defendant) J Giles SC with C Mitchell (Second and Third Defendants)