Muriniti v Lawcover Insurance Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 90

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Muriniti v Lawcover Insurance Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 90 Hearing dates: 7-9 December 2021 Date of orders: 11 February 2022 Decision date: 11 February 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: 1. Dismiss the plaintiffs' notice of motion filed on 1 April 2021 with costs. 2. Dismiss the proceedings against the defendants with costs. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — Temporary stay of proceedings pending proceedings in other Court JUDGMENTS AND ORDERS — Amending, varying and setting aside — Fraud, misrepresentation or suppressions of material fact — Where alleged fraud comprised of a complex alleged conspiracy between 23 defendants — Proceedings dismissed CIVIL PROCEDURE — Dismissal of proceedings — Abuse of process — Embarassing pleadings — Where serious allegations of fraud made by plaintiffs not adequately particularised — Where plaintiffs seek a stay pending determination of related proceedings — Whether abuse of process to leave proceedings involving serious allegations of fraud in abeyance CIVIL PROCEDURE — Parties — Vexatious litigants — Declaration by Court's own motion — Whether declaration appropriate Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 99 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 4, 319 Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth), ss 13, 14, 58 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), ss 345, 348, 349 Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules 2015 (NSW), rr 4, 43 Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules 2015 (NSW), rr 21.2-21.4 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), s 55 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 84 Supreme Court Act 1986 (Vic), s 21 Surveillance Devices Act 2007 (NSW), s 7(3) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 14.6, 14.7, 14.8, 14.14, 14.28, 15.1, 15.3, 15.4, 15.9, 19.5 Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW) ss 6, 8, 14 Cases Cited: Agar v Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 552; [2000] HCA 41 Ahern v The Queen (1988) 165 CLR 87; [1988] HCA 39 Attorney-General (NSW) v Klewer (No 3) (2010) 264 ALR 535; [2010] NSWSC 9 Attorney-General (NSW) v Wentworth (1988) 14 NSWLR 481 Attorney-General for the State of Victoria v Horvath, Senior [2001] VSC 269 Attorney-General for the State of Victoria v Weston [2004] VSC 314 Attwells v Jackson Lalic Lawyers Pty Ltd (2016) 259 CLR 1; [2016] HCA 16 Australian Wool Innovation Ltd v Newkirk [2005] FCA 290 Batistatos v Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) (2006) 226 CLR 256; [2006] HCA 27 Berry v CCL Secure Pty Ltd (2020) 94 ALJR 715; [2020] HCA 27 Bodycorp Repairers Pty Ltd v Australian Associated Motor Insurers Ltd [2018] VSCA 174 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Carey (1976) 15 SASR 270 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996) 186 CLR 541; [1996] HCA 25 Cabassi v Vila (1940) 64 CLR 130; [1940] HCA 41 CC Containers v Lee [2011] VSC 537 Central Exploration Pty Ltd v Zuks [2020] WASC 46 City of the Gold Coast v Pioneer Concrete (QLD) Pty Ltd (1998) 99 LGERA 263; [1999] FCA 499 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 De Costi Seafoods (Franchises) Pty Limited v Wachtenheim (No 2) [2012] NSWDC 286 De Costi Seafoods (Franchises) Pty Limited v Wachtenheim (No 3) [2013] NSWDC 54 De Costi Seafoods (Franchises) Pty Limited v Wachtenheim (No 4) [2014] NSWDC 70 De Costi Seafoods (Franchises) Pty Limited v Wachtenheim (No 5) [2015] NSWDC 8 De Costi Seafoods (Franchises) Pty Limited v Wachtenheim (No 6) [2016] NSWDC 378 De Costi Seafoods (Franchises) Pty Limited v Wachtenheim (No 8) [2020] NSWDC 184 Dean v American Express International, (Supreme Court (NSW), Charteris J 23 March 2007, unrep) Dey v Victorian Railways Commissioners (1949) 78 CLR 62; [1949] HCA 1 Dresna Pty Ltd v Misu Nominees Pty Ltd [2003] FCA 1537 Dresna Pty Ltd v Misu Nominees Pty Ltd [2004] FCAFC 169 Fatimi Pty Ltd v Bryant (2004) 59 NSWLR 678; [2004] NSWCA 140 Fatimi Pty Ltd v Bryant [2002] NSWSC 750 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; [1964] HCA 69 Glover v Kaji Australia Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 222 Haines v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1995) 43 NSWLR 404 Hammond v State of New South Wales [2013] NSWSC 1930 Hammond v State of New South Wales [2015] NSWCA 304 Hamod v New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 375 Hobbs v Australian Securities and Investments Commission [2013] NSWCA 432 Hughes v Western Australian Cricket Association (1986) 69 ALR 660; [1986] FCA 465 Jackamarra v Krakouer (1998) 195 CLR 516; [1998] HCA 27 Jackson Lalic Lawyers Pty Ltd v Atwells [2014] NSWCA 335 Jacobsen v Jacobsen [2017] NSWSC 1590 Johnston v Smith [2002] NSWSC 409 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Kaji Australia Pty Ltd v Glover (No 4) [2019] NSWSC 1779 Kaji Australia Pty Ltd v Glover (No 5) [2020] NSWSC 1576 Krakowski v Eurolynx Properties Limited (1995) 183 CLR 563; [1995] HCA 68 Lawcover v Muriniti [2017] NSWSC 1557 Lee v Adedian [2016] QSC 92 Leerdam v Noori (2009) 255 ALR 553; [2009] NSWCA 90 McGuirk v The University of New South Wales [2009] NSWSC 1424 McWilliam v Penthouse Publications Ltd [2001] NSWCA 237 Meckiff v Simpson [1968] VR 62 Metall und Rohstoff AG v Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette Inc [1990] 1 QB 391 Muriniti v Mercia Financial Solutions Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 180 Neat Holdings Pty Ltd v Karajan Holdings Pty Ltd (1992) 110 ALR 449; [1992] HCA 66 Newell; Muriniti v De Costi (2018) 97 NSWLR 398; [2018] NSWCA 49 Nguyen v QTQ Mechanical Services Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 1629 Potier v Attorney-General (NSW) (2015) 89 NSWLR 284; [2015] NSWCA 129 R De W Kennedy (Finance) Pty Ltd v Ley (Holland J, 29 March 1978, unreported) Rafailidis v Camden Council [2021] NSWSC 1087 Reichel v Magrath (1889) 14 App Cas 665 Ridgeway v The Queen (1995) 184 CLR 19; [1995] HCA 66 Rippon v Chilcotin Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 198; [2001] NSWCA 142 Rogers v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 251; [1994] HCA 42 Simmons v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2013] NSWSC 1688 Simmons v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2014] NSWCA 405 Smith v Australian Executor Trustees Ltd; Creighton v Australian Executor Trustees Ltd [2017] NSWSC 1406 State Bank of New South Wales Ltd v Stenhouse Ltd [1997] Aust Torts Reports 81-423 Swinfen v Lord Chelmsford (1860) 5 H&N 890; 157 ER 1436 Tiufino v Warland (2000) 50 NSWLR 104; [2000] NSWCA 110 Tomlinson v Ramsey Food Proceesing Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 507; [2015] HCA 28 Trau v University of Sydney (1989) 34 IR 466 UBS AG v Tyne (2018) 265 CLR 77; [2018] HCA 45 Viavattene v Attorney-General (NSW) [2015] NSWCA 44 Walton v Gardiner (1993) 177 CLR 379; [1993] HCA 77 Weston v Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd (2011) 83 ACSR 206; [2011] NSWSC 433 Williamson v Elders Limited [2017] NSWSC 667 Young v Hones (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 338 Young v Hones (No 5) [2016] NSWSC 822 Young v Hones [2014] NSWCA 337 Young v Hughes Trueman Pty Ltd (No 4) [2017] FCA 456 Young v Hughes Trueman Pty Ltd [2016] FCA 1176 Young v King (No 11) 2017] NSWLEC 34 Young v King [2004] NSWLEC 93 Texts Cited: Bullen, Edward, Sir William Blair, Lord Daniel Brennan, Sir Robin Jacob and Sir Brian Langstaff, Bullen & Leake & Jacob's Precedents of Pleadings (19th ed, 2019, Sweet & Maxwell) Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Leonardo Carlo Muriniti (First Plaintiff) Robert Newell (Second Plaintiff) (Self-represented) Lawcover Insurance Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Elissa Baxter (Second Defendant) AAI Limited (formerly Suncorp) (Third Defendant) De Costi Seafoods (Holdings) Pty Ltd (Fourth Defendant) De Costi Seafoods (Franchises) Pty Ltd (Fifth Defendant) George Costi (Sixth Defendant) Androulla Costi (Seventh Defendant) Andrew Thorpe (Eighth Defendant) Stephen Stanton (Ninth Defendant) Michael Holmes (Tenth Defendant) Juliana Ng (Eleventh Defendant) David Shnider (Twelfth Defendant) Deborah Searle (Thirteenth Defendant) Philippe Doyle Gray (Fourteenth Defendant) Louise Thomson (Fifteenth Defendant) Bruce Yeldham (Sixteenth Defendant) Mary Vitalone (Seventeenth Defendant) David Lloyd (Eighteenth Defendant) Wendy Blacker (Nineteenth Defendant) Rory O'Connor (Twentieth Defendant) Geoffrey Watson (Twenty-First Defendant) Nicholas Andrew (Twenty-Second Defendant) Frank Theodore (Twenty-Third Defendant) Representation: Counsel: A Zahra SC with J Anderson (1st, 2nd, 16th, 17th Defendants) D Villa SC with D Tang (3rd and 21st Defendants) SJ Stanton (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 12th and 23rd Defendants) B McClintock SC with S Spiers (8th ,11th ,19th and 20th Defendants) M Fordham SC (10th Defendant) B McClintock SC (13th Defendant) E Olivier (14th Defendant) M Elliott SC (18th Defendant) C Coventry (22nd Defendant)