Sethi v The Owners – Strata Plan No 93392 (No 6) [2023] NSWSC 1368

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sethi v The Owners – Strata Plan No 93392 (No 6) [2023] NSWSC 1368 Hearing dates: 8 November 2023 Date of orders: 13 November 2023 Decision date: 13 November 2023 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Chen J Decision: (1) Order that, pursuant to r 13.4(1) of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), the proceedings be dismissed. (2) Order that the plaintiff pay the defendant's costs of the proceedings on an indemnity basis. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – summary disposal – dismissal of proceedings – frivolous or vexatious proceedings – where plaintiff has been permitted significant period of time to replead claim but has demonstrated an unwillingness or inability to do so – whether conduct of plaintiff constitutes an abuse of the process of the courts COSTS – indemnity costs – application for indemnity costs resulting from conduct of a party – where plaintiff has refused to comply with court orders and made allegations of corruption – indemnity costs ordered Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Baulderstone Hornibrook Engineering Pty Ltd v Gordian Runoff Ltd (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 12 Botany Municipal Council v Secretary, Department of the Arts (1992) 34 FCR 412; [1992] FCA 194 Cabport Pty Ltd v Marinchek (No 2) [2013] NSWCA 131 Colgate Palmolive Company v Cussons Pty Limited (1993) 46 FCR 225; [1993] FCA 801 Crocker v Toys 'R' Us (Australia) Pty Ltd (No 3) [2015] FCA 728 Dey v Victorian Railways Commissioners (1949) 78 CLR 62; [1949] HCA 1 Dickens v State of New South Wales (No 3) [2018] NSWSC 485 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; [1964] HCA 69 O'Brien v Bank of Western Australia Ltd (2013) 16 BPR 31705; [2013] NSWCA 71 Rana v Commonwealth of Australia [2013] FCA 189 Ridgeway v the Queen (1995) 184 CLR 19; [1995] HCA 66 Rosniak v Government Insurance Office (1997) 41 NSWLR 608 Sethi v The Owners Strata Plan No 93392 [2023] NSWSC 853 Sethi v The Owners Strata Plan No 93392 (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 906 Sethi v The Owners Strata Plan No 93392 (No 3) [2023] NSWSC 907 Sethi v The Owners Strata Plan No 93392 (No 4) [2023] NSWSC 908 Sethi v The Owners Strata Plan No 93392 (No 5) [2023] NSWSC 910 Simmons v NSW Trustee and Guardian [2014] NSWCA 405 Spencer v Commonwealth of Australia (2010) 241 CLR 118; [2010] HCA 28 Three Rivers District Council v Bank of England [No 3] [2003] 2 AC 1; [2001] UKHL 16 Tomlinson v Ramsey Food Processing Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 507; [2015] HCA 28 UBS AG v Tyne (2018) 265 CLR 77; [2018] HCA 45 Ugur v Attorney-General for NSW [2019] NSWCA 86 Wentworth v Rogers (No 5) (1986) 6 NSWLR 534 Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Akhil Sethi (plaintiff) (self-represented) The Owners – Strata Plan No 93392 (defendant) Representation: Counsel: L Holland (defendant)