Burrows v Patsantzopoulos [2022] NSWDC 442

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Burrows v Patsantzopoulos [2022] NSWDC 442 Hearing dates: 21 September 2022; 23 September 2022 (written submissions) Date of orders: 4 October 2022 Decision date: 04 October 2022 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Weber SC DCJ Decision: See paragraph [77] Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – application by the defendant for permanent stay of proceedings seeking damages for alleged historical sexual assault – whether proceedings should be stayed on the basis that defendant, who has neurocognitive deficits including dementia, would not receive a fair trial Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 178 Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 (NSW), Part 4, Division 3, s 62 Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990 (NSW), s 22 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 7.15 Victims Rights and Support Act 2013 (NSW) Cases Cited: Chalmers v Leslie & Anor [2020] QSC 343 Connellan v Murphy [2017] VSCA 116 Ellis v Pell [2006] NSWSC 109 Goldsmith v Sperrings Ltd (1977) 1 WLR 478 Gorman v McKnight [2020] NSWCA 20 Moubarak by his Tutor Coorey v Holt (2019) 100 NSWLR 218 R v Edwards (2009) 255 ALR 399 The Council of Trinity Grammar School v Anderson (2019) 101 NSW LR 762 Williams v Spautz (1992) 174 CLR 509 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Plaintiff: Lauren Burrows Defendant: Dimitrios Patsantzopoulos Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff: Mr R Royle Defendant: Mr M Davis