Moussa v Camden Council (No.3) [2022] NSWSC 913

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Moussa v Camden Council (No.3) [2022] NSWSC 913 Hearing dates: 16 December 2021 Date of orders: 08 July 2022 Decision date: 08 July 2022 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Garling J Decision: See [79] Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — summary disposal — dismissal of proceedings — no reasonable cause of action disclosed CORPORATIONS — corporate character — parent and subsidiary — liability of parent company for harm caused by its wholly owned subsidiary — no duty of care owed CIVIL PROCEDURE — summary disposal — dismissal of proceedings — principle in Wickstead v Browne — principle does not preclude summary dismissal in this case Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 Pt 10 Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), Sch 2 – Australian Consumer Law, s 236 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 Supreme Court Act 1970 Supreme Court Rules 1970 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 r 13.4 Cases Cited: A v Dept of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWSC 937 Breheny v Cairncross [2002] NSWCA 69 Briggs v James Hardie & Co Pty Ltd (1987) 16 NSWLR 549 Burrows v Macpherson & Kelley Lawyers (Sydney) Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 148 Caltex Refineries (Qld) Pty Limited v Stavar (2009) 75 NSWLR 649; [2009] NSWCA 258 CSR Ltd v Wren (1997) 44 NSWLR 463 Dickson v Chaffey [2012] NSWSC 336 Menzies v Australian Iron and Steel Ltd (1952) 52 SR (NSW) 62 PAO v Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Sydney [2011] NSWSC 1216 Perre v Apand Pty Ltd [1999] HCA 36; (1999) 198 CLR 180 Sanders-Pattinson v Brown [2012] NSWSC 443 Wickstead v Browne (1992) 30 NSWLR 1; [1992] NSWCA 272 Texts Cited: Glanville Williams, Joint Torts and Contributory Negligence (Stevens, 1951) Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Danny Marielle Moussa (P) Camden Council (D1) Cornish Group Spring Farm Pty Ltd (ACN 120 837 381) (D2) SMEC Testing Services Pty Ltd (ACN 101 164 792) (in liq) (D3) SMECTS Holdings Pty Ltd (ACN 063 746 823) (D4) Representation: Counsel: D Priestly SC with J Burnett (P) R Oldfield (D1) R Newlinds SC with M Hall (D2) IG Roberts SC with J Entwisle (D4)