Darius v Webb [2024] NSWSC 957

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Darius v Webb [2024] NSWSC 957 Hearing dates: 3 July 2024 Date of orders: 7 August 2024 Decision date: 07 August 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Faulkner J Decision: (1) Summons dismissed. (2) Plaintiffs pay the Defendant's costs. Catchwords: APPEALS — Leave to appeal from decision of Local Court under ss 40 and 41 of the Local Court Act 2007 (NSW) — Magistrate's decision to award costs — leave refused. COSTS — final orders — indemnity costs — offer of compromise and alternative Calderbank offer — Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) 42.14 — purpose of the Small Claims Division and the overriding purpose of s 56(1) of the Civil Procedure Act 2005 – complexity of pleadings and the inclusion of unnecessary causes of action — transfer of proceedings to the General Division — no error of principle or law demonstrated in the exercise of the Magistrate's cost discretion. Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 15, 56, 57, 58, 60, 98 Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulation 2015 (NSW) Pt 3 of Sch 1 Local Court Act 2007 (NSW) ss 35, 37, 40, 41 Local Court Rules 2009 (NSW) cll 2.3, 2.9 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) s 23 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) rr 14,12, 15.7, 15.8, 20.26, 42.14, 42.13A, 42.35 Cases Cited: Ackerman v Morgan [2019] NSWSC 1250 Ashi Pty Ltd v Karasco Investments Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 780 Averkin v Insurance Australia Ltd (No 2) [2016] NSWCA 150 Baltic Shipping Co v Dillion (1993) 176 CLR 344 Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd v Qantas Airways Ltd [2003] FCA 325 Be Financial Pty Ltd v Das [2012] NSWCA 164 Beckett v State of New South Wales [2015] NSWSC 1500 Gray v Motor Accident Commission (1998) 196 CLR 1 Calderbank v Calderbank [1975] 3 WLR 586 Harrison v Schipp [2001] NSWCA 13 Hillier v Sheather (1995) 36 NSWLR 414 Johnson v Gore Wood & Co [2002] 2 AC 1 Langdon v Carnival PLC [2024] NSWCA 168 O'Neill v Williams [2007] NSWSC 51 Pavey & Matthews Pty Ltd v Paul (1987) 162 CLR 221 Programmed Total Martine Services Pty Ltd v Ships "Hako Endeavour" and "Hako Esteem" (2014) 229 FCR 563; [2014] FCAFC 134 South Eastern Sydney Area Health Services & Anor v King [2006] NSWCA 2 Vagg v McPhee (No 2) [2012] NSWSC 187 Category: Costs Parties: Alex Darius (First Plaintiff) Niloofar Dinpanah (Second Plaintiff) Linda Webb (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: E L Bartley (Plaintiffs) A Khoury (Defendant)