Bouffard v CDM Australasia Pty Limited [2021] NSWDC 124

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Bouffard v CDM Australasia Pty Limited [2021] NSWDC 124 Hearing dates: 25 March 2021 Date of orders: 15 April 2021 Decision date: 15 April 2021 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Dicker SC DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the plaintiff against the defendant. (2) The parties are to bring in agreed short minutes of order reflecting the reasons of the court within 14 days. (3) In the event that the parties cannot agree on the appropriate orders, leave is granted to the parties to approach the Associate to Dicker DCJ to relist the matter on two business days' notice. Catchwords: CONTRACT – dispute resolution clause – whether plaintiff unable to sue on agreed contractual debt due to alleged failure to comply with dispute resolution clause procedure – stay not sought PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW – dispute resolution clause – whether New South Wales a clearly inappropriate forum to determine the proceedings – effect of dispute resolution clause on analysis – proper construction of clause – rights of party in breach of contract to enforce clause Legislation Cited: District Court Act 1973 (NSW). Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: AB v XY [2020] NSWDC 27 Aiton Australia Pty Ltd v Transfield Pty Ltd [1999] NSWSC 996; (1999) 153 FLR 236 Ecosse Property Holdings Pty Ltd v Gee Dee Nominees Pty Ltd (2017) 261 CLR 544; [2017] HCA 12 ET-China.com International Holdings Ltd v Cheung [2019] NSWSC 1874 Foran v Wright (1989) 168 CLR 385; [1989] HCA 51 Global Partners Fund Limited v Babcock & Brown Ltd (in liquidation) [2010] NSWCA 196 Lavigne v Kumar [2020] NSWSC 1120 Lepcanfin Pty Ltd v Lepfin Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 155 Neilson v Overseas Projects Corporation of Victoria Ltd [2005] HCA 54; (2005) 223 CLR 331 Qantas Airways Ltd v Rohrlach [2021] NSWCA 48 Sharjade Pty Ltd v The Commonwealth [2009] NSWCA 373 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Kirk Bouffard (Plaintiff) CDM Australasia Pty Limited (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: S Gaussen (Plaintiff) T Hall (Solicitor, Defendant)