Rickhuss v The Cosmetic Institute Pty Ltd (No 4) [2023] NSWSC 666

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Rickhuss v The Cosmetic Institute Pty Ltd (No 4) [2023] NSWSC 666 Hearing dates: 22-23 March 2023; 8-9 June 2023; 16 June 2023 Date of orders: 20 July 2023 Decision date: 20 July 2023 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Garling J Decision: See [236] Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — Representative proceedings — Claims by plaintiffs who underwent breast augmentation surgery at various premises associated with the defendants — Whether there are no, or no sufficient, common questions identified in the Statement of Claim — Whether Statement of Claim, which seeks to articulate those common questions, is deficient CIVIL PROCEDURE — Subpoenas — To produce documents — Application to set aside on basis of legislative constraints relating to disclosure of personal and health information CIVIL PROCEDURE — Discovery — Further and better discovery — Dispute about the range of documents relevant to the determination of the limitation period with respect to the claims brought by the plaintiffs or some of them — Proper interpretation of s 50D of the Limitation Act 1969 CIVIL PROCEDURE — Subpoenas — To produce documents — Subpoenas addressed to various of the plaintiffs' experts — Application to set aside on basis of legal professional privilege CIVIL PROCEDURE — Subpoenas — To produce documents — Application for leave nunc pro tunc to make redactions to various documents previously produced on discovery Legislation Cited: Australian Consumer Law Civil Procedure Act 2005 Evidence Act 1995 Health Care Complaints Act 1993 Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 Limitation Act 1969 Cases Cited: Baker-Morrison v State of NSW (2009) 74 NSWLR 454; [2009] NSWCA 35 Baggs v University of Sydney Union [2013] NSWCA 451 Bright v Femcare Ltd (2002) 195 ALR 574; [2002] FCAFC 243 Bywater v Appco Group Australia Pty Ltd [2018] FCA 707 Frizelle v Bauer [2009] NSWCA 239 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125 Giles v The Commonwealth of Australia [2014] NSWSC 83 Gillies v Downer EDI Limited [2010] NSWSC 1323 Horne v J K Williams Contracting Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCCA 58 New South Wales v Gillett [2012] NSWCA 83 New South Wales v Public Transport Ticketing Corporation [2011] NSWCA 60 Merck Sharp & Dohme (Australia) Pty Ltd v Peterson (2009) 355 ALR 20; [2009] FCAFC 26 Murgolo v AAI Ltd (2019) 101 NSWLR 376; [2019] NSWCA 295 Pomare v Whyte (2019) 377 ALR 352; [2019] NSWCA 317 Sevic v Roarty (1998) 44 NSWLR 287 Shipley v Maru Financial Management Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 252 Singtel Optus Pty Ltd v Weston (2011) 81 NSWLR 526; [2011] NSWSC 1083 State of NSW v Gillett [2012] NSWCA 83 Wong v Silkfield (1999) 198 CLR 255; [1999] HCA 48 Sevic v Roarty (1998) 44 NSWLR 287 Texts Cited: Review of the Law of Negligence Final Report (September 2002) Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Amy Rickhuss (P1) Kylie Pollock (P2) Jessica Bruen (P3) Kirsty-Anne Rowlands (P4) Lily Knowland (P5) Tiffany Rutherford (P6) Alysha Axen (P7) Sherine Zahr (P8) Emma Love (P9) Candiece Gielisse (P10) Ali Turner (P11) Stefanie Sanchez (P12) The Cosmetic Institute Pty Ltd (ACN 135 061 155) (D1) The Cosmetic Institute Parramatta Pty Limited (ACN 144 469 036) (D2) TCI Bondi Junction Pty Limited (ACN 165 531 895) (D3) TCI Southport Pty Ltd (ACN 605 603 423) (D4) Eddy Dona (D5) Niroshan Sivathasan (D6) Van Huu Anthony Nguyen (D7) Victor Lee (D8) Chi-Vien Duong (aka Charles Wong) (D9) Anh Huy Tang (D10) Napoleon Po Han Chiu (D11) Daniel Kwok (D12) Pedro Miguel da Silva Valente (D13) Fahreen Ali (D14) James Francis Christopher Kenny (D15) Sri Balakrishnan Darshn (D16) Certain underwriters at Lloyd's subscribing to policy no. 04012 (D17) Allied World Assurance Company, Ltd (D18) MDA National Insurance Pty Ltd (D19) Representation: Counsel: D Graham SC / H Chiu / M Robinson (P1-P12) No appearance (D1-D4) R J May (D5) J Gooley / R Higgins (D6) A J McInerney SC / N Bentley (D7-D16) J Tesarsch / P Lamb (D17) T Mehigan SC / T Marskell (D18) M Hamdan (D19)