Sanmik Food Pvt Ltd v Alfa Laval Australia Pty Ltd; Alfa Laval Australia Pty Ltd v Sanmik Food Pvt Ltd [2024] NSWSC 698

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sanmik Food Pvt Ltd v Alfa Laval Australia Pty Ltd; Alfa Laval Australia Pty Ltd v Sanmik Food Pvt Ltd [2024] NSWSC 698 Hearing dates: 16-17 May 2024; further written submissions 22 and 29 May 2024 Decision date: 07 June 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Stevenson J Decision: Defendant entitled to rely on its delivery of the Homogenizer and Filler as part of the supply under the Settlement Documents Catchwords: CONTRACTS – construction – principles – deed settling earlier proceedings – where earlier proceedings involved dispute about contract for sale by defendant vendor to plaintiff purchaser of coconut milk production plants – where dispute settled on basis of parties entering further agreement for sale of those plants – where defendant vendor had delivered to plaintiff purchaser two major components of the first plant – whether on proper construction of the settlement deed the delivered components were agreed to be part of the supply under the further agreement Cases Cited: Burness v Hill [2019] VSCA 94 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337; [1982] HCA 24 Directors of the London and South Western Railway Co v Blackmore (1870) LR 4 HL 610 DXC Eclipse Pty Ltd v Wildsmith [2023] NSWCA 98 Ecosse Property Holdings Pty Ltd v Gee Dee Nominees Pty Ltd (2017) 261 CLR 544; [2017] HCA 12 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd (2014) 251 CLR 640; [2014] HCA 7 Grant v John Grant & Sons Pty Ltd (1954) 91 CLR 112; [1954] HCA 23 Kelly v The Queen (2004) 218 CLR 216; [2004] HCA 12 Miles v Luneburger Franchising Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 248 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 104; [2015] HCA 37 Reardon Smith Line Ltd v Hansen-Tangen; Hansen-Tangen v Sanko Steamship Co [1976] 1 WLR 989; [1976] 3 All ER 570 Reid v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (2022) 109 NSWLR 149; [2022] NSWCA 134 Simic v New South Wales Land and Housing Corporation (2016) 260 CLR 85; [2016] HCA 47 Victoria v Tatts Group Ltd [2016] HCA 5 Walker Group Constructions Pty Ltd v Tzaneros Investments Pty Ltd (2017) 94 NSWLR 108; [2017] NSWCA 27 Texts Cited: P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (2nd ed, 2020, Thomson Reuters) K Lewison and D Hughes, The Interpretation of Contracts in Australia (1st ed, 2012, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sanmik Food Pvt Ltd (First Plaintiff/First Cross-Defendant) Sanmik Natural Food Pty Ltd (Second Plaintiff/Second Cross-Defendant) Alfa Laval Australia Pty Ltd (Defendant/Cross-Claimant) Representation: Counsel: A Horvath SC / R Jameson (Plaintiffs/Cross-Defendants) S A Lawrance SC (Defendant/Cross-Claimant)