Eliezer v Sydney Water Corporation [2021] NSWDC 66

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Eliezer v Sydney Water Corporation [2021] NSWDC 66 Hearing dates: On the papers Date of orders: 16 March 2021 Decision date: 16 March 2021 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Abadee DCJ Decision: See paragraph 148 Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – appeal from decision of Small Claim Division of an Assessor in the Local Court – judgment against plaintiff for non-payment of water, sewerage and drainage services – Assessor's rejection of application to stay or adjourn hearing to enable plaintiff to apply to NCAT – alleged lack of compliance with requirements of Pre-Trial reviews – whether jurisdictional error established – complaints of excessive interventions by Assessor and bullying – whether denial of procedural fairness Legislation Cited: Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2013 (NSW) Sch 4 Pt 5 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 4, 14, 56, 57, 60 Competitions and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) Sch 2 – Australian Consumer Law s 61 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) ss 131, 144 Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) ss 3, 79B, 79E, 79I, 79J, 79K, 79L Local Court Act 2007 (NSW) ss 26, 27, 29A, 30, 38, 39, 42 Local Court Practice Note Civ 1 Local Court Rules 2009 (NSW) rr 2.4, 2.5 Sydney Water Act 1994 (NSW) ss 55(1), 58, 59 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 12.1, 50.4 Cases Cited: Astley v Austrust Ltd (1997) 197 CLR 1 Commissioner of Taxation v Futuris Corporation Ltd (2008) 237 CLR 146 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488 Kirk v Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531 McClymont v Owners Strata Plan No. 12139 (2009) 74 NSWLR 404 R v T, WA (2014) 118 SASR 382 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs; Ex parte Lam (2003) 214 CLR 1 Re Refugee Review Tribunal; Ex parte Aala (2000) 204 CLR 82 Smits v Roach (2006) 227 CLR 423 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 Vakauta v Kelly (1989) 167 CLR 568 Texts Cited: Australian Institute of Judicial Administration, Guide to Judicial Conduct (3rd ed) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Ms S Eliezer (applicant) Sydney Water Corporation (respondent) Representation: Solicitors: Plaintiff appeared in person Manion McCosker Solicitors and Attorneys for the defendant File Number(s): 2020/212141 Publication restriction: Nil Decision under appeal Court or tribunal: Local Court Jurisdiction: Small Claims Division Citation: Unreported Date of Decision: 24 June 2020 Before: Assessor Harvey File Number(s): 2020/81636