ViaSat Inc v Hansen Yuncken Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 1581

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: ViaSat Inc v Hansen Yuncken Pty Ltd [2024] NSWSC 1581 Hearing dates: 2 December 2024 Date of orders: 11 December 2024 Decision date: 11 December 2024 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: Rees J Decision: Dismiss application for leave to appeal. Catchwords: ARBITRATION – leave to appeal – s 34A, Commercial Arbitration Act 2010 (NSW) – occasions for grant of leave narrowly circumscribed – case law review at [2]-[20] – whether "will substantially affect rights" – s 34A(3)(a) – whether question "of general public importance – building contract for defence project – defence contracts use standard templates widely used – this particular contract was bespoke – s 34A(3)(c)(ii) – whether tribunal decision "open to serious doubt"; less onerous than "obviously wrong" – s 34A(3)(d) – whether "just and proper" to determine the question; nature of the fourth requirement – need to assess whether requirements satisfied for each question for which leave to appeal is sought. BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION – liquidated damages – the 'prevention' principle – principles at [76]-[78]. Legislation Cited: Arbitration Act 1996 (UK) s 69(5) Commercial Arbitration Act 1984 (NSW) Commercial Arbitration Act 2010 (NSW) s 34A Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) r 47.3(3) Cases Cited: ASC AWD Shipbuilder Pty Ltd v Ottoway Engineering Pty Ltd (2017) 129 SASR 122; [2017] SASCFC 150 Braes of Doune Wind Farm (Scotland) Ltd v Alfred McAlpine Business Services Ltd [2008] 1 Lloyd's Rep 608; [2008] EWHC 426 (TCC) Brambles Holdings Limited v Bathurst City Council (2001) 53 NSWLR 153; [2001] NSWCA 61 CMA CGM SA v Beteiligungs-Kommanditgesellschaft MS "Northern Pioneer" Schiffahrt-gesellschaft mbH & Co (Northern Pioneer) [2003] 1 WLR 1015; [2002] EWCA Civ 1878 Cole v Gebauer Nominees Pty Ltd [2012] WASC 9 Golden Mile Milling Pty Ltd v Novus Capital Ltd [2022] WASC 364 Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd v Southern Cross Farms Australia Pty Ltd (2022) 398 ALR 562 Jacobs Group (Australia) Pty Ltd v Commonwealth [2020] VSC 127 Ottoway Engineering Pty Ltd v ASC AWD Shipbuilder [2017] SASC 69 Peak Construction (Liverpool) Ltd v McKinney Foundations Ltd (1970) 69 LGR 1 Pioneer Shipping Ltd v BTP Tioxide Ltd (The Nema) [1982] AC 724 Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v DDI Group Pty Ltd (2017) 95 NSWLR 82; [2017] NSWCA 151 Sanders v Snell (1998) 196 CLR 329 Spiers Earthworks Pty Ltd v Landtec Projects Corp Pty Ltd (No 2) (2012) 287 ALR 360; [2012] WASCA 53 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council v Beechdale Community Housing Association Ltd [2005] EWHC 2715 (TCC) Yesodei Hatorah College Inc v Trustees of the Elwood Talmaud Torah Congregation (2011) 38 VR 394 Texts Cited: Commercial Arbitration (2001 Companion Volume to the Second Edition, Butterworths) Commercial Arbitration (2nd ed, 1989, Butterworths) Departmental Advisory Committee on Arbitration Law Report on the Arbitration Bill and Supplementary Report on the Arbitration Act 1996 (DAC Report) (February 1996) Hudson's Building and Engineering Contracts (14th ed) Russell on Arbitration (24th ed, 2015, Thomson Reuters) Category: Principal judgment Parties: ViaSat Inc (Plaintiff) Hansen Yuncken Pty Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Green SC / B Ilkovski (Plaintiff) M Elliott SC / D Hand (Defendant)