Ahern v Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd [2021] NSWCA 166

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Ahern v Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd [2021] NSWCA 166 Hearing dates: 3 March 2021 Date of orders: 6 August 2021 Decision date: 06 August 2021 Before: Meagher JA at [1]; White JA at [98]; Brereton JA at [125] Decision: Dismiss the summons filed 3 August 2020 with costs. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – orders of District Court dismissing appeal on questions of law from costs assessment review panel – where District Court decided reasons given by review panel were adequate – whether jurisdictional error in applying incorrect test for adequacy of reasons – whether error of law on the face of the record in relation to decision that reasons adequate COSTS – costs assessment – determination by review panel of amount of costs of assessment process and by whom payable – whether review panel required to determine "fair and reasonable amount" Legislation Cited: Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), s 17 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), ss 353, 357, 364, 367A, 368, 369, 370, 375, 378, 380, 382, 384, 385, sch 5 Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 (NSW), s 94 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 69 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (Qld) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 50.4(1) Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), ss 70, 71, 78 Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2002 (Vic) Cases Cited: Anonymous (1697) 2 Salk 479; 91 ER 412 Attorney-General (NSW) v Kennedy Miller Television Pty Ltd (1998) 43 NSWLR 729 Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union v ALS Industrial Australia Pty Ltd (2015) 235 FCR 305; [2015] FCAFC 123 Builders Licensing Board v Sperway Constructions (Syd) Pty Ltd (1976) 135 CLR 616; [1976] HCA 62 Cassegrain v CTK Engineering [2008] NSWSC 457 CDJ v VAJ (1998) 197 CLR 172; [1998] HCA 67 Commissioner for Motor Transport v Kirkpatrick (1988) 13 NSWLR 368 Craig v South Australia (1996) 184 CLR 163; [1995] HCA 59 Daley v Hughes (2014) 86 NSWLR 729; [2014] NSWCA 268 Danagher v Racing Penalties Appeal Tribunal (1995) 13 WAR 531 Deputy Federal Commissioner of Taxes (SA) v Elder's Trustee and Executor Co Ltd (1936) 57 CLR 610 Farrar v Julian-Armitage [2015] QCA 289 Folbigg v Attorney General of New South Wales [2021] NSWCA 44 Frumar v Owners of Strata Plan 36957 (2006) 67 NSWLR 321; [2006] NSWCA 278 Garret v Foot (1689) Comb 133 Gazecki v McCabes Lawyers Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 98 Ghosh v Medical Council of New South Wales (2020) 102 NSWLR 303; [2020] NSWCA 122 GJ Coles & Co Ltd v Retail Trade Industrial Tribunal (1987) 7 NSWLR 503 Gregg Lawyers Pty Ltd v Farrar [2014] QDC 194 Grocon Constructors Pty Ltd v Planit Cocciardi Joint Venture (No 2) (2009) 26 VR 172; [2009] VSC 426 Hockey v Yelland (1984) 157 CLR 124; [1984] HCA 72 Hossain v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2018) 264 CLR 123; [2018] HCA 34 Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2010) 239 CLR 531; [2010] HCA 1 Masson v Parsons (2019) 266 CLR 554; [2019] HCA 21 Matson v Racing Appeals Tribunal [2001] VSC 264 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZMTA (2019) 264 CLR 421; [2019] HCA 3 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 Mulcahy v NRMA Insurance Ltd [2018] NSWCA 189 Pham v NRMA Insurance Ltd [2014] NSWCA 22 President Torney v Victoria Legal Aid [2010] VSC 631 Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Shade Systems Pty Ltd (2018) 264 CLR 1; [2018] HCA 4 R v Medical Appeal Tribunal; Ex parte Gilmore [1957] 1 QB 574 R v Northumberland Compensation Appeal Tribunal; Ex parte Shaw [1952] 1 KB 338 Returned & Services League of Australia (Victoria Branch) Inc v Liquor Licensing Commission [1999] 2 VR 203; VSCA 37 Rinehart v Rinehart [2020] NSWCA 221 Shade Systems Pty Ltd v Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd (No 2) (2016) 95 NSWLR 157; [2016] NSWCA 379 Traut v Faustmann Bros Pty Ltd (1983) 48 ALR 313 Wany v DPP [2020] NSWCA 318 Wende v Horwath (No 2) (2015) 91 NSWLR 588; [2015] NSWCA 416 Wentworth v Rogers [2002] NSWSC 709 Z v Mental Health Review Tribunal [2015] NSWCA 373 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Marshall Ahern (First Applicant) Estelle Therese Clancy (Second Applicant) Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: G A Sirtes SC and B May J A C Potts SC and J McDonald