Air Canada v Evans [2024] NSWCA 153

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Air Canada v Evans [2024] NSWCA 153 Hearing dates: 5 June 2024 Decision date: 21 June 2024 Before: Leeming JA at [1]; Payne JA at [94]; Griffiths AJA at [95] Decision: 1. Grant leave to appeal. 2. Appeal allowed. 3. Set aside the answer to question (1)(a) given by Rothman J on 12 December 2023, and in lieu thereof answer that question "No". 4. The respondents to pay Air Canada's costs of the appeal (including the application for leave to appeal). 5. Save in relation to the documents replicating the tickets on which the respondents travelled, and the extracts from reg 122 of the Canadian Air Transportation Regulations, SOR/88-58, reject Air Canada's application to tender further evidence. Catchwords: AVIATION LAW – international carriage of passengers by air – Montreal Convention 1999 – limits of liability for bodily injury – whether carrier's tariff waived partial defence under Art 21(2) for liability above 113,100 SDRs – whether unlimited strict liability for bodily injury Legislation Cited: Air Navigation Regulation 2016 (Cth), Pt 4 Canadian Air Transportation Regulations, SOR/88-58, reg 122 Carriage by Air Act 1935 (Cth) Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959 (Cth), s 9B, Sch 1A Civil Aviation Legislation Amendment (1999 Montreal Convention and Other Measures) Act 2008 (Cth) Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 174 Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 103 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 14.11, 28.2, 36.16 Guadalajara Convention 1961 Hague Protocol 1955, Art 22 Montreal Convention 1999, Arts 1, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 55 Montreal Protocol No 4 1975, Art 22 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969, Art 31 Warsaw Convention, Arts 1, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25 Cases Cited: Air Link Pty Ltd v Paterson (2005) 223 CLR 283; [2005] HCA 39 Australian Broadcasting Commission v Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (1973) 129 CLR 99; [1973] HCA 36 Bradshaw v Emirates [2021] FCA 1407; 395 ALR 97 Cappello v Hammond & Simonds NSW Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 57 Chapmans Ltd v Australian Stock Exchange Ltd (1996) 67 FCR 402 Chevron (TAPL) Pty Ltd v Pilbara Iron Company (Services) Pty Ltd (2021) 58 WAR 102; [2021] WASCA 193 CIC Insurance Ltd v Bankstown Football Club Ltd (1997) 187 CLR 384; [1997] HCA 2 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of NSW (1982) 149 CLR 337; [1982] HCA 24 Cohen v American Airlines, Inc 13 F 4th 240 (2021) Dyczynski v Gibson (2020) 280 FCR 583; [2020] FCAFC 120 Ehrlich v American Airlines, Inc 360 F 3d 366 (2d Cir 2004) Evans v Air Canada [2023] NSWSC 1535 Fitzgerald v Masters (1956) 95 CLR 420; [1956] HCA 53 GIO General Ltd v Centennial Newstan Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 13; 18 ANZ Ins Cas 62-005 Great China Metal Industries Co Ltd v Malaysian International Shipping Corporation Berhad (1998) 196 CLR 161; [1998] HCA 65 Grein v Imperial Airways Ltd [1937] 1 KB 50 Grueff v Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd [2021] FCA 501; 395 ALR 249 Gulf Air Company GSC v Fattouh [2008] NSWCA 225; 251 ALR 183 Holmes v Bangladesh Biman Corporation [1989] 1 AC 1112 Johnson v Miller (1937) 59 CLR 467; [1937] HCA 77 Lahey Constructions Pty Ltd v The State of New South Wales [2021] NSWCA 69 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 104; [2015] HCA 37 Page v Sydney Seaplanes Pty Ltd (2020) 277 FCR 658; [2020] FCA 537 Parkes Shire Council v South West Helicopters Pty Ltd (2019) 266 CLR 212; [2019] HCA 14 Povey v Qantas Airways Ltd (2005) 223 CLR 189; [2005] HCA 33 Price v KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines 107 F Supp 2d 1365 (2000) Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 R v Halton; Ex parte AUS Student Travel Pty Ltd (1978) 138 CLR 201; [1978] HCA 26 Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs; Ex parte Lam (2003) 214 CLR 1; [2003] HCA 6 Rinehart v Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (2019) 267 CLR 514; [2019] HCA 13 Shipping Corporation of India Ltd v Gamlen Chemical Co (A/Asia) Pty Ltd (1980) 147 CLR 142; [1980] HCA 51 South West Helicopters Pty Ltd v Stephenson (2017) 98 NSWLR 1; [2017] NSWCA 312 Studorp Ltd v Robinson; Robinson v Studorp Ltd [2012] NSWCA 382 United Airlines Inc v Sercel Australia Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 24; 289 ALR 682 Texts Cited: B Cheng, "A New Era in the Law of International Carriage by Air: From Warsaw (1929) to Montreal (1999)" (2004) 53 International and Comparative Law Quarterly 833 M Clarke, Contracts of Carriage by Air (Lloyd's List Law, 2nd ed, 2010) PS Dempsey and M Milde, International Air Carrier Liability: The Montreal Convention of 1999 (McGill University, 2005) LB Goldhirsch, The Warsaw Convention Annotated: A Legal Handbook (Kluwer Law International, 2000) B Havel and G Sanchez, The Principles and Practice of International Aviation Law (Cambridge University Press, 2014) P Herzfeld and T Prince, Interpretation (Thomson Reuters, 2nd ed 2020) Shawcross & Beaumont: Air Law (LexisNexis) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Air Canada (Applicant) Renae Evans (First Respondent) Stephanie Evans (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: J T Gleeson SC, G O'Mahoney, D Habashy (Applicant) R S McIlwaine SC, R E Quickenden (Respondents)