The Owners – Strata Plan No 84674 v Pafburn Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 301

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: The Owners – Strata Plan No 84674 v Pafburn Pty Ltd [2023] NSWCA 301 Hearing dates: 1 November 2023 Date of orders: 13 December 2023 Decision date: 13 December 2023 Before: Ward P at [1]; Adamson JA at [2]; Basten AJA at [18] Decision: (1) Grant the appellant leave to appeal from the judgment in the Equity Division given on 23 February 2023. (2) Allow the appeal and set aside the orders in the Equity Division. (3) In place thereof: (a) pursuant to the amended notice of motion filed on behalf of the plaintiff on 15 December 2022, strike out paragraphs 20-24, 27-29A of the first amended technology and construction list response filed by the defendants on 21 September 2022; (b) order that the defendants pay the plaintiff's costs of the motion. (4) Order that the respondents pay the appellant's costs of the proceedings in this Court. Catchwords: APPEAL – leave to appeal – interlocutory order refusing to strike out defence – defence pleaded plaintiff's claim apportionable – issue of general public importance – significant impact on course of trial TORT – duty of care – statutory duty for construction work – extension of duty to subsequent owners of land – duty non-delegable – whether claim is apportionable under Pt 4 of Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) – claim by owners corporation for defective works – Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW), s 37(1) WORDS AND PHRASES – "non-delegable duty – "tort" – "vicarious liability" Legislation Cited: Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), ss 53, 113 (now 108) Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 3C, Pt 1A, ss 5A, 5H, Div 7, s 5Q, Pt 4, ss 34, 35, 36, 39 Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW), Pt 4, ss 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, Sch 1, cl 5 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), s 6.20 Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), Pt 2C Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 34, 35 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1965 (NSW), Pt 3, s 8 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 (NSW), ss 5, 6, 8 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 101 Wrongs Act 1936 (SA), s 27A Cases Cited: Astley v AusTrust Ltd (1999) 197 CLR 1; [1999] HCA 6 Belous v Willetts [1970] VR 45 Boensch v Pascoe (2019) 268 CLR 593; [2019] HCA 49 Boulus Constructions Pty Ltd v Warrumbungle Shire Council (No 2) [2022] NSWSC 1368 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512; [2001] HCA 29 Byrne and Frew v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410; [1995] HCA 24 Carmarthenshire County Council v Lewis [1955] AC 549 Commissioner of Police v Estate of Russell (2002) 55 NSWLR 232; [2002] NSWCA 272 Commissioner of Police v Mohamed [2009] NSWCA 432 The Commonwealth v Introvigne (1982) 150 CLR 258; [1982] HCA 40 Downs v Williams (1971) 126 CLR 61; [1971] HCA 45 GLJ v Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Lismore [2023] HCA 32; Gray v Pullen (1864) 122 ER 1091; 5 B&S 970 Hall v A & A Sheiban Pty Ltd (1989) 20 FCR 217 Hole v Sittingbourne and Sheerness Railway Co (1861) 158 ER 201; 6 H&N 488 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Leichhardt Municipal Council v Montgomery (2007) 230 CLR 22; [2007] HCA 6 Parnaby v Lancaster Canal Co (1839) 11 Ad & E 223; 113 ER 400 Seward v The "Vera Cruz" (1884) 10 App Cas 59 Thomson v Cremin [1953] 2 All ER 1185 Victorian Railways Commissioners v Speed (1928) 40 CLR 434; [1928] HCA 3 Voli v Inglewood Shire Council (1963) 110 CLR 74; [1963] HCA 15 Wicks v State Rail Authority (NSW) (2010) 241 CLR 60; [2010] HCA 22 Wilkinson v Rea Ltd (1941) 1 KB 688 Woodhouse v Fitzgerald (2021) 104 NSWLR 475; [2021] NSWCA 54 Texts Cited: K Barker, P Cane, M Lunney, F Trindade, The Law of Torts in Australia (5th ed, 2012, Oxford UP) J C Campbell, "Contribution, Contributory Negligence and Section 52 of the Trade Practices Act – Part II" (1993) 67 ALJ 177 J Dietrich & I Field "Statutes and Theories of Vicarious Liability" (2019) 43(2) Melb U L Rev 515 P Giliker, Vicarious Liability in Tort: A Comparative Perspective (Cambridge UP, 2010) J Goudkamp & D Nolan, Winfield & Jolowicz on Tort (20th ed, 2020, Thomson Reuters) M Leeming, Common Law, Equity and Statute: A Complex Entangled System (The Federation Press, 2023) M Leeming, The Statutory Foundations of Negligence (The Federation Press, 2019) P Winfield, "Duty in Tortious Negligence" 34(1) Columbia L Rev 41 P Winfield, The Province of the Law of Tort (Camb UP, 1931) Review of the Law of Negligence Report (Commonwealth of Australia, 2002) Category: Principal judgment Parties: The Owners – Strata Plan No 84674 (Appellant) Pafburn Pty Limited (First Respondent) Madarina Pty Limited (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: D S Weinberger (Appellant) G A Sirtes SC / A Di Francesco (First and Second Respondents)