A v B [2021] NSWDC 491

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: A v B [2021] NSWDC 491 Hearing dates: 10-14 May 2021; 15 June 2021 (written submissions); 9 July 2021 (written submissions); 20 August 2021 (oral submissions) Date of orders: 15 September 2021 Decision date: 15 September 2021 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Dicker SC DCJ Decision: (1) Judgment for the defendant against the plaintiff. (2) The plaintiff is to pay the defendant's costs of the proceedings as agreed or assessed. (3) Liberty to the parties to seek a different costs order to that in (2) above within 14 days. Catchwords: TORTS – intentional torts – battery – personal injury – psychiatric injury – historic sexual assault alleged – damages sought for battery and psychiatric injury and consequential loss – whether the plaintiff consented to the activity in question – whether the account of the plaintiff should be accepted on the balance of probabilities Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Cases Cited: Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Croucher v Cachia [2016] NSWCA 132 Cubillo v Commonwealth (No 2) [2000] FCA 1084; (2000) 103 FCR 1 Danckert v Tonkin [2015] NSWSC 1570 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; (2003) 214 CLR 118 Gautem v Health Care Complaints Commission [2021] NSWCA 85 Gersbach v Gersbach [2018] NSWSC 1685 Gorman v McKnight [2020] NSWCA 20 KS v GR [2020] NSWDC 73 Kumar v Legal Services Commissioner [2015] NSWCA 161 Lamb v Cotogno [1987] HCA 47; (1987) 164 CLR 1 MBP (SA) Pty Ltd v Gogic [1991] HCA 3; (1991) 171 CLR 657 MC v Morris [2019] NSWSC 1326 Musa v Alzreaiawi [2021] NSWCA 12 Neat Holdings Pty Ltd v Karajan Holdings Pty Ltd (1992) 67 ALJR 170; [1992] HCA 66 Nguyen v Tran [2018] NSWCA 215 Perpetual Trustees Victoria Ltd v Cox [2014] NSWCA 328 Sangha v Baxter [2009] NSWCA 78 State of New South Wales v Riley [2003] NSWCA 208; (2003) 57 NSWLR 496 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 White v Johnston (2015) 87 NSWLR 779; [2015] NSWCA 18 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mrs A (Plaintiff) Mr B (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: K Andrews (Plaintiff) J Sleight (Defendant)