Cappello v Transport for New South Wales [2022] NSWDC 730

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Cappello v Transport for New South Wales [2022] NSWDC 730 Hearing dates: 17 November 2022 Date of orders: 15 December 2022 Decision date: 15 December 2022 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Andronos SC DCJ Decision: (1) Leave to appeal is granted. (2) Summons dismissed. (3) The plaintiffs to pay the costs of the defendant as assessed or agreed. (4) Liberty to apply in relation to costs. Catchwords: COSTS – indemnity principle – disclosure – whether disclosure obligations owed to government authorities – whether abolition of Chorley exception affects in-house counsel – whether professional costs of government employee solicitors recoverable Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW) Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) Roads Act 1993 (NSW) Transport Administration Act 1988 (NSW) Transport Administration Amendment (RMS Dissolution) Act 2019 (NSW) Cases Cited: Ackerman v Morgan [2019] NSWSC 1250 Be Financial Pty Ltd v Das [2012] NSWCA 164 Bell Lawyers Pty Ltd v Pentelow & Anor (2019) 269 CLR 333; [2019] HCA 29 Bellevarde Constructions Pty Ltd v CPC Energy Pty Ltd [2011] NSWDC 55 Cappello v HomeBuilding Pty Ltd (District Court (NSW), Gibson DCJ, 9 December 2022, unrep) Cappello v Roads and Maritime Services & Anor [2019] NSWCA 227 Cappello v Roads and Maritime Services [2019] NSWSC 439 Chapmans Ltd v Yandell [1999] NSWCA 361 Collins v The Queen (1975) 133 CLR 120 at 122; [1975] HCA 60 Coulter v The Queen [1988] HCA 3; (1988) 164 CLR 350 CSR Limited v Eddy [2008] NSWCA 83 Gazecki v McCabes Lawyers Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCA 98; (2020) 102 NSWLR 259 Jaycar Pty Ltd v Lombardo [2011] NSWCA 284 Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Ltd (2000) 104 FCR 564; [2000] FCA 1572 London Scottish Benefit Society v Chorley (1884) 13 QBD 872 Malvina Park Pty Ltd v Johnson [2019] NSWSC 1490 Metziya Pty Ltd v ICR Engineering Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 1703 Wentworth v Rogers [2006] NSWCA 145 Zelden v Sewell; Henamast Pty Ltd v Sewell [2011] NSWCA 56 Texts Cited: G Dal Pont, The Law of Costs (3rd ed, 2013, Lexis Nexis Australia) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Rosario Cappello and Maria Capello (plaintiffs) Transport for New South Wales (defendant) Representation: Counsel: Ms M Castle (defendant)