Johnston v Allen [2024] NSWSC 187

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Johnston v Allen [2024] NSWSC 187 Hearing dates: 4 December 2023, further written submissions ending 12 December 2023 Date of orders: 29 February 2024 Decision date: 29 February 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity - Expedition List Before: Parker J Decision: See [147] Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – confidentiality – implied and express obligations to use documents only for purposes of proceedings – reach of obligations – application to agent, solicitor and counsel for party – use for purposes of complaint against solicitor after proceedings completed – release of obligations by court – release to permit ongoing use for complaint proceedings – release nunc pro tunc to permit past use – order for return or destruction of copies by recipients no longer involved in complaint proceedings Legislation Cited: Nil Cases Cited: Bell Lawyers Pty Ltd v Pentelow (2019) 269 CLR 333 EB v GB [2020] NSWSC 1291 Findex v iiNet [2019] NSWSC 1198 Harman v Secretary of State for the Home Department [1983] 1 AC 280 Hearne v Street (2008) 235 CLR 125 Miller v Scorey [1996] 1 WLR 1122 Northbuild Constructions Pty Ltd v Discovery Beach Project Pty Ltd (No 4) [2011] 1 Qd R 145; [2009] QCA 345 Papantoniou v Stonewall Hotel Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 85 Telnet Pty Ltd v Takapana Investments Pty Ltd (1994) 51 FCR 520 Treasury Wine Estates Ltd v Maurice Blackburn Pty Ltd (2020) 282 FCR 95 Texts Cited: Nil Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Notice of Motion filed 26 September 2023 Sharna Clemmett (Applicant) Bede Augustine Webster (First Respondent) Amber Johnston (Second Respondent) Lauren Gidley (Third Respondent)