Alamdo Holdings Pty Ltd v Croc’s Franchising Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 1746

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Alamdo Holdings Pty Ltd v Croc's Franchising Pty Ltd [2022] NSWSC 1746 Hearing dates: 5 - 7 December 2022 Date of orders: 21 December 2022 Decision date: 21 December 2022 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Stevenson J Decision: COVID-19 pandemic commercial leases regulation held to be valid Catchwords: STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION – whether regulation styled "Commercial leases – COVID-19 pandemic special provisions" being Sch 5 of the Conveyancing (General) Regulation 2018 (NSW) is invalid to the extent it purported to prohibit the recovery of possession or termination of a lease by a lessor under the terms of a lease – whether the COVID-19 Regulation was authorised under ss 87(1)(c) or (d) of the Retail Leases Act 1994 (NSW) Legislation Cited: Agricultural Tenancies Act 1900 (NSW) Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW) Conveyancing (General) Regulation 2018 (NSW) Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Payments and Benefits) Act 2020 (Cth) Coronavirus Economic Response Package (Payments and Benefits) Rules 2020 (Cth) COVID-19 Legislation Amendment (Emergency Measures) Act 2020 (NSW) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) Public Health (COVID-19 Mass Gatherings) Order 2020 (NSW) Public Health (COVID-19 Places of Social Gathering) Order 2020 (NSW) Residential Tenancies Act 2010 (NSW) Retail and Other Commercial Leases (COVID-19) Regulation 2020 (NSW) Retail Leases Act 1994 (NSW) Cases Cited: Cockle v Isaksen (1957) 99 CLR 155; [1957] HCA 85 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Munro (1926) 38 CLR 153; [1926] HCA 58 International Finance Trust Co Ltd v New South Wales Crime Commission (2009) 240 CLR 319; [2009] HCA 49 Sydney Seaplanes Pty Ltd v Page (2021) 106 NSWLR 1; [2021] NSWCA 204 Wainohu v New South Wales (2011) 243 CLR 181; [2011] HCA 24 Texts Cited: J Trayner, Trayner's Latin Maxims (4th ed, 1993, W. Green) P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, 2020, Thomson Reuters) New South Wales Legislative Council, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 24 March 2020 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Alamdo Holdings Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Croc's Franchising Pty Ltd (First Defendant) Brett Christopher Aldons (Second Defendant) Lawrence John Cusdin (Third Defendant) State of New South Wales (Fourth Defendant) Representation: Counsel: J A C Potts SC with A R Langshaw (Plaintiff) G Farland with D Meyerowitz-Katz (First, Second and Third Defendants) L Waterson (Fourth Defendant)