Cappello v Lyons [2023] NSWCA 137

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Cappello v Lyons [2023] NSWCA 137 Hearing dates: 1 June 2023 Date of orders: 23 June 2023 Decision date: 23 June 2023 Before: Meagher JA at [1] Simpson AJA at [2] Griffiths AJA at [85] Decision: 1. Appeal dismissed. 2. The appellants to pay the respondent's costs. Catchwords: OCCUPATIONS – legal practitioners – professional negligence – advocate's immunity – whether advocate's immunity extends to the drafting of pleadings – whether advocate's immunity applies to omissions by a legal practitioner Legislation Cited: District Court Act 1973 (NSW) s 127 Home Building Act 1989 (NSW) s 8A, Sch 1 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) ss 5R, 5S Cases Cited: Attard v James Legal Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCA 311 Attwells v Jackson Lalic Lawyers Pty Limited (2016) 259 CLR 1; [2016] HCA 16 Cappello v Hammond & Simonds NSW Pty Ltd [2020] NSWSC 1021 Cappello v Hammond & Simonds NSW Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 57 Creative Building Services v Jolene Investments [2013] NSWSC 391 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 Giannarelli v Wraith (1988) 165 CLR 543; [1988] HCA 52 Keefe v Marks (1989) 16 NSWLR 713 Mann v Paterson Construction Pty Ltd (2019) 267 CLR 560; [2019] HCA 32 Rees v Sinclair [1974] 1 NZLR 180 Rondel v Worsley [1969] 1 AC 191 Rosario Cappello v James William Lyons (District Court (NSW), Olsson SC DCJ, 22 August 2022, unrep) Saif Ali v Sydney Mitchell & Co [1980] AC 198 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Rosario Cappello (1st Appellant) Maria Cappello (2nd Appellant) James William Lyons (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Self-represented (Appellants) G Ng (Respondent)