National Australia Bank Limited v Human Group Pty Ltd (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 1900

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: National Australia Bank Limited v Human Group Pty Ltd (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 1900 Hearing dates: 11 December 2020 Decision date: 23 December 2020 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Henry J Decision: Variation to freezing orders to be made. Parties to bring in short minutes of order to give effect to these reasons. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – variation of freezing orders – where plaintiff makes a proprietary claim over third defendant's assets – where criminal proceedings commenced against second defendant – whether current terms of freezing orders prohibit the first and second defendants from accessing the third defendant's assets to pay for their ordinary living, reasonable legal and business expenses – whether freezing orders should be varied to prevent the first and second defendant from doing so – held freezing orders to be varied – parties to prepare short of minutes of order Legislation Cited: Practice Note SC Gen 14 Cases Cited: Attorney-General for New South Wales v Milat (1995) 37 NSWLR 370 Birketu Pty Ltd v Westpac Banking Corporation (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 494 Bookarelli Pty Limited v Katanga Developments Pty Limited [2017] NSWCA 69 Brimaud v Honeysett Instant Print Pty Ltd (1988) 217 ALR 44 Brown Brothers Waste Contractors Pty Limited v Pittwater Council (2015) 90 NSWLR 717; [2015] NSWCA 215 Cardile v LED Builders Pty Limited (1999) 198 CLR 380; [1999] HCA 18 at 394 Commonwealth of Australia v Jansenberger (Supreme Court (Vic), Southwell J, 3 October 1985) Cong v Shen [2020] NSWSC 945 Dietrich v The Queen (1992) 177 CLR 292; [1992] HCA 57 Fodare Pty Ltd v Shearn [2011] NSWSC 479 Frigo v Culhaci [1998] NSWCA 88 Goumas v McIntosh [2002] NSWSC 713 Heperu Pty Ltd v Belle (2009) 76 NSWLR 230; [2009] NSWCA 252 His Eminence Metropolitan Petar v The Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Inc [2006] NSWCA 277 In the matter of Courtenay House Capital Trading Group Pty Ltd (In Liq) [2018] NSWSC 1918 Independent Trustee Services Ltd v GP Noble Trustees Ltd [2009] EWHC 161 (Ch) Katter v Melhem (2015) 90 NSWLR 164; [2015] NSWCA 213 Kirkpatrick v Kotis (2004) 62 NSWLR 567; [2004] NSWSC 1265 National Australia Bank Limited v Human Group Pty Limited [2019] NSWSC 1404 Polly Peck International Plc v Nadir (No 2) [1992] 4 All ER 769 R v Warwick (No. 64) [2019] NSWSC 163 Salomon v A Salomon & Co Ltd [1897] AC 22 Short v Crawley (No 42) [2009] NSWSC 1110 Sundt Wrigley & Co Ltd v Wrigley (Court of Appeal (UK), 23 June 1993, unrep) Wende v Horwath (NSW) Pty Limited (2014) 86 NSWLR 674; [2014] NSWCA 170 Texts Cited: Perry Herzfeld and Thomas Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, 2020, Thomson Reuters) Peter Biscoe, Freezing and Search Orders: Mareva and Anton Piller Orders (2nd ed, 2008, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: National Australia Bank Limited ACN 004 044 937 (Plaintiff) Human Group Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Helen Mary Rosamond (Second Defendant) A.C.N. 137 384 662 Pty Ltd (Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D Thomas SC with E Bathurst (Plaintiff) D Pritchard SC (Defendants)