BRJ v The Corporate Trustees of The Diocese of Grafton [2022] NSWSC 1077

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: BRJ v The Corporate Trustees of The Diocese of Grafton [2022] NSWSC 1077 Hearing dates: 13 August 2021 Date of orders: 02 September 2022 Decision date: 02 September 2022 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Garling J Decision: See [139] Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — Stay of proceedings — Claim for damages for alleged sexual abuse in 1974 or 1975 — Cross-claim by defendant institution against perpetrator — Where cross-defendant perpetrator suffers from dementia and cannot give instructions or evidence — Stay of cross-claim ordered — Where no available independent witnesses or contemporaneous documents which record the fact of the abuse — Where no available witnesses or contemporaneous documents which would enable a response to allegations of direct negligence or vicarious liability — Whether stay of cross-claim is prejudice to be taken into account on primary claim stay application — Stay of primary claim ordered Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Pt 1B, Div 4 Civil Procedure Act 2005 s 67 Crimes Act 1900 ss 79, 81 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1946 s 5 Limitation Act 1969 Cases Cited: Creevey v Barrois [2005] NSWCA 264 Gallagher Bassett Services NSW Pty Ltd v Murdock (2013) 86 NSWLR 13; [2013] NSWCA 386 GIO General Ltd v Love [2009] NSWCA 269 Gorman v McKnight [2020] NSWCA 20 Kesavarajah v R (1994) 181 CLR 245; [1994] HCA 41 Mabbett v Josef & Sons Contracting Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 1452 Moubarak by his tutor Coorey v Holt (2019) 100 NSWLR 218; [2019] NSWCA 102 Newcastle City Council v Batistatos; Roads & Traffic Authority of NSW v Batistatos [2005] NSWCA 20 Prince Alfred College Incorporated v ADC (2016) 258 CLR 134; [2016] HCA 37 R v Presser [1958] VR 45 Tekno Ceramics Pty Ltd v Milat [2003] NSWCA 254 The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church the Diocese of Lismore v GLJ [2022] NSWCA 78 Weston v Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd [2011] NSWSC 433; 83 ACSR 206 Williams v Spautz (1992) 174 CLR 509; [1992] HCA 34 Texts Cited: Not applicable Category: Principal judgment Parties: BRJ (P) The Corporate Trustees of the Diocese of Grafton (D, X-C) Allan Kitchingman by his tutor Janette Kitchingman (X-D) Representation: Counsel: P Tierney (P) H Chiu (D, X-C) S McMahon (X-D)