HNOE Limited v Angus & Julia Stone Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 271

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: HNOE Limited v Angus & Julia Stone Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 271 Hearing dates: 23 October 2024 Date of orders: 19 November 2024 Decision date: 19 November 2024 Before: Bell CJ at [1]; Leeming JA at [118]; Payne JA at [124] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal. (2) Appeal allowed with costs. (3) Set aside the orders of the primary judge and in lieu thereof, order that: (a) the proceedings be stayed; (b) the plaintiffs be ordered to pay the costs of the notice of motion filed on 15 March 2024. Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Summary dismissal – Whether the plaintiffs' claims for breach of statutory duty should not have been summarily dismissed – Where availability of action was a pure question of law involving no questions of fact and admitting of only one correct answer – Whether, in circumstances of particular case, there was utility in determining issue on a summary basis PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW – Stay of proceedings – Exclusive jurisdiction clause – Where jurisdiction clause was elliptical in that its scope or extent was not spelt out – Where not all parties to proceedings bound by clause – Whether stay should still be granted – "Non-parties" and non-parties –Whether strong reasons not to give effect to exclusive jurisdiction clause through a stay of proceedings TORTS – Breach of statutory duty – Entertainment Industry Act 2013 (NSW), s 11 – Whether the legislature intended to create a private cause of action for breach of statutory duty – Where statute provided a range of remedies – No intention to create a private cause of action – Summary dismissal of claims for breach of statutory duty Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56 Entertainment Industry Act 2013 (NSW), ss 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 39, 43, sch 1 cl 2(8) Industrial Arbitration Act 1912 (NSW), s 521 Industrial Relations (Child Employment) Act 2006 (NSW), s 15(5) Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW), s 357(5) Entertainment Industry Regulation 2020 (NSW), reg 4 Entertainment Industry Regulation 2014 (NSW), reg 4 Cases Cited: Agar v Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 552; [2000] HCA 41 Akai Pty Ltd v People's Insurance Company Ltd (1996) 188 CLR 418; [1996] HCA 39 Anderson v Mackellar County Council (1968) 69 SR (NSW) 444 Askin v Knox [1989] 1 NZLR 248 Australian Health & Nutrition Association Ltd v Hive Marketing Group Pty Ltd (2019) 99 NSWLR 419; [2019] NSWCA 61 Bailey v New South Wales Medical Defence Union Ltd (1995) 184 CLR 399; [1995] HCA 28 Batistatos v Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales (2006) 226 CLR 256; [2006] HCA 27 Boensch v Pascoe (No 2) [2017] FCA 146 Brimson v Rocla Concrete Pipes Ltd (1982) 2 NSWLR 937 Byrne & Frew v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410; [1995] HCA 24 Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (1999) 200 CLR 1; [1999] HCA 59 CSR Ltd v Cigna Insurance Australia Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 345; [1997] HCA 33 Dey v Victorian Railways Commissioners (1949) 78 CLR 62; [1949] HCA 1 DRJ v Commissioner of Victims Rights (No 2) (2020) 103 NSWLR 692; [2020] NSWCA 242 FAI General Insurance Co Ltd v Ocean Marine Mutual Protection & Indemnity Association (1997) 41 NSWLR 559 FAI General Insurance Co Ltd v Ocean Marine Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (1997) 41 NSWLR 117 Field v Dettman [2013] NSWCA 147 Gardiner v Victoria [1999] 2 VR 461; [1999] VSCA 100 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; [1964] HCA 69 Global Partners Fund Ltd v Babcock & Brown Ltd (in liq) [2010] NSWCA 196; (2010) 79 ACSR 383 Grand Central Car Park Pty Ltd v Tivoli Freeholders [1969] VR 62 Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd v Rinehart (2017) 257 FCR 442; [2017] FCAFC 170 Henry v Henry (1996) 185 CLR 571; [1996] HCA 51 in de Braekt v Legal Profession Complaints Committee [2016] WASCA 220 Inghams Enterprises Pty Limited v Hannigan [2020] NSWCA 82; (2020) 379 ALR 196 Jackamarra (an Infant) v Krakouer (1998) 195 CLR 516; [1998] HCA 27 Jane Doe v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited [2018] NSWSC 1996 Josephson v Walker (1914) 18 CLR 691; [1914] HCA 68 Karpik v Carnival plc [2023] HCA 39; (2023) 98 ALJR 45 King v Goussetis (1986) 5 NSWLR 89 Kinzett v McCourt (1999) 46 NSWLR 32; [1999] NSWCA 7 Lepcanfin Pty Ltd v Lepfin Pty Ltd (2020) 102 NSWLR 627; [2020] NSWCA 155 Longreach Family Living (Vic) Pty Ltd v Simonds Homes Melbourne Pty Ltd [2013] VSCA 274 Martin v Western District of Australasian Coal and Shale Employees' Federation Workers' Industrial Union of Australia (Mining Department) (1934) 34 SR (NSW) 593 Nyunt v First Property Holdings Pte Ltd [2022] NSWCA 249; (2022) 408 ALR 277 Oceanic Sun Line Special Shipping Co Inc v Fay (1988) 165 CLR 197; [1988] HCA 32 O'Connor v S P Bray Ltd (1937) 56 CLR 464; [1937] HCA 18 Onus v Alcoa of Australia Ltd (1981) 149 CLR 27; [1981] HCA 50 Pask v Owen [1987] 2 Qd R 421 Polar Aviation Pty Ltd v Civil Aviation Safety Authority (No 4) (2011) 203 FCR 293; [2011] FCA 1126 Porter v OAMPS Ltd [2005] FCA 232; (2005) 215 ALR 327 Preston v Star City Pty Ltd [1999] NSWSC 1273 Qantas Airways Ltd v Rohrlach [2021] NSWCA 48; (2021) 304 IR 218 Re Galtari Pty Ltd (in liq) [2018] NSWSC 917 Shaw v State of New South Wales [2012] NSWCA 102 Sovar v Henry Lane Pty Ltd (1967) 116 CLR 397; [1967] HCA 31 Spencer v Commonwealth of Australia (2010) 241 CLR 118; [2010] HCA 28 Voth v Manildra Flour Mills Pty Ltd (1990) 171 CLR 538; [1990] HCA 55 Wickstead v Browne (1992) 30 NSWLR 1; [1992] NSWCA 272 Willis v Castelein [1993] 3 NZLR 103 Texts Cited: C Sappideen et al, Fleming's The Law of Torts (11th ed, 2024) M Davies et al, Nygh's Conflict of Laws in Australia (10th ed, 2020) Category: Procedural rulings Parties: HNOE Limited (First Applicant) Manton Music Management Pty Ltd (Second Applicant) Timothy Manton (Third Applicant) Angus & Julia Stone Pty Ltd (First Respondent) Angus John Stone (Second Respondent) Julia Natasha Stone (Third Respondent) A&J Touring Pty Ltd (Fourth Respondent) Angus Stone Pty Ltd (Fifth Respondent) Julia Stone Pty Ltd (Sixth Respondent) Representation: Counsel: