State of New South Wales v Cullen [2024] NSWCA 310

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: State of New South Wales v Cullen [2024] NSWCA 310 Hearing dates: 8 December 2023 Date of orders: 20 December 2024 Decision date: 20 December 2024 Before: Gleeson and Kirk JJA at [1]; White JA at [120] Decision: (1) Appeal upheld. (2) Set aside orders (1) and (2) made in the Common Law Division on 15 June 2023, along with orders (a) and (b) made on 21 June 2023, and in lieu thereof order as follows: (a) The amended statement of claim is dismissed. (b) The plaintiff is to pay the defendant's costs. (3) The respondent is to repay the sum of $103,000 paid by the appellant in part payment of the respondent's costs and disbursements of the proceedings below. (4) The respondent is to pay the appellant's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE – Duty of care – Public authorities – Police officers owe duty to take reasonable care to avoid risk of harm to class of persons in immediate vicinity of operational response during protest march – Risk of harm in police actions inflicting physical injury on identified class of persons – s 43A of Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) inapplicable NEGLIGENCE – Breach – Regard to be had to police obligations to take actions to prevent breaches of the peace even in crowded situations –Reasonable to effect arrest in the way done – No breach made out NEGLIGENCE – Causation – Novus actus interveniens – Third party actions leading to respondent's injury not occurring in ordinary course of things which might flow from police actions – Issue of fact and degree in all circumstances – Distinct and significant criminal action of third party led to arrest leading up to injury – Chain of causation broken TORTS – Trespass to the person – Battery – Police "utterly without fault" in colliding with respondent – Battery not made out Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), ss 5B, 5D(1), Pt 5 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 60(1), 545C(1), 580E(1) Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW), ss 4, 99, 100, 230, 231, Pt 14 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 (NSW), s 9B Police Act 1990 (NSW), ss 6, 13, 14(1), 213 Summary Offences Act 1988 (NSW), Pt 4 Cases Cited: Albert v Lavin [1982] AC 546 Australian Capital Territory v Crowley (2012) 7 ACTLR 142; [2012] ACTCA 52 Bales v Parmeter (1935) 35 SR(NSW) 182 Bennett v Minister of Community Welfare (1992) 176 CLR 408; [1992] HCA 27 Board of Fire Commissioners (NSW) v Ardouin (1961) 109 CLR 105; [1961] HCA 71 Capital & Counties Plc v Hampshire County Council [1997] QB 1004 Chapman v Hearse (1961) 106 CLR 112; [1961] HCA 46 Coleman v Power (2004) 220 CLR 1; [2004] HCA 39 Collins v Insurance Australia Ltd (2022) 109 NSWLR 240; [2022] NSWCA 135 Corkery v Black (Court of Appeal, 2 August 1989, unreported, BC8901886) Cran v State of New South Wales (2004) 62 NSWLR 95; [2004] NSWCA 92 Croucher v Cachia (2016) 95 NSWLR 117; [2016] NSWCA 132 Curtis v Harden Shire Council (2014) 88 NSWLR 10; [2014] NSWCA 314 Della Franca v Lorenzato; Burwood Council v Lorenzato [2021] NSWCA 321 Ex parte Aubin; re Munday (1930) 30 SR (NSW) 169 Fede v Gray (2018) 98 NSWLR 1149; [2018] NSWCA 316 Fuller-Wilson v State of New South Wales [2018] NSWCA 218 Gales Holdings Pty Limited v Tweed Shire Council (2013) 85 NSWLR 514; [2013] NSWCA 382 Graham Barclay Oysters Pty Limited v Ryan (2002) 211 CLR 540; [2002] HCA 54 Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire [1989] AC 53 Home Office v Dorset Yacht Co Ltd [1970] AC 1004 Jennings v Police (2019) 133 SASR 520; [2019] SASCFC 93 Knightley v Johns [1982] 1 WLR 349; [1982] 1 All ER 851 Mahony v J Kruschich (Demolitions) Pty Ltd (1985) 156 CLR 522; [1985] HCA 37 March v E & MH Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506; [1991] HCA 12 Marshall v Osmond [1983] QB 1034 McIntosh v Webster (1980) 30 ACTR 19 Michael v Chief Constable of South Wales Police (Refuge Intervening) [2015] AC 1732 NEAT Domestic Trading Pty Ltd v AWB Ltd (2003) 216 CLR 277; [2003] HCA 35 Paul v Cooke (2013) 85 NSWLR 167; [2013] NSWCA 311 Precision Products (NSW) Pty Ltd v Hawkesbury City Council (2008) 74 NSWLR 102; [2008] NSWCA 278 Queensland Bulk Water Supply Authority t/as Seqwater v Rodriguez & Sons Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 206 R v Howell [1982] QB 416 Re Bolton; Ex parte Beane (1987) 162 CLR 514; [1987] HCA 12 Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) v Refrigerated Roadways Pty Ltd (2009) 77 NSWLR 360; [2009] NSWCA 263 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer (2007) 234 CLR 330; [2007] HCA 42 Robinson v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police [2018] AC 736; [2018] UKSC 4 Robinson v State of New South Wales (2018) 100 NSWLR 782; [2018] NSWCA 231 State of New South Wales v McMaster (2015) 91 NSWLR 666; [2015] NSWCA 228 State of New South Wales v Ouhammi (2019) 101 NSWLR 160; [2019] NSWCA 225 State of New South Wales v Tyszyk [2008] NSWCA 107 Sullivan v Moody (2001) 207 CLR 562; [2001] HCA 59 Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1985) 157 CLR 424; [1985] HCA 41 Tame v New South Wales (2002) 211 CLR 317; [2002] HCA 35 Tapp v Australian Bushman's Campdraft & Rodeo Association Ltd (2022) 273 CLR 454; [2022] HCA 11 Thompson v Vincent [2005] NSWCA 219; (2005) 153 A Crim R 577 Transport for NSW v Hunt Leather Pty Ltd [2024] NSWCA 227 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Miller (2015) 91 NSWLR 752; [2015] NSWCA 320 Wallace v Kam (2013) 250 CLR 375; [2013] HCA 19 Woodley v Boyd [2001] NSWCA 35 X (Minors) v Bedfordshire County Council [1995] 2 AC 633 Texts Cited: New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Criminal Procedure: Police Powers of Detention and Investigation after Arrest, Report No 66, 1990 D Rolph et al, Balkin & Davis: Law of Torts (LexisNexis, 6th ed, 2021) HLA Hart and T Honoré, Causation in the Law (2nd ed, 1985, Clarendon Press) Category: Principal judgment Parties: State of New South Wales (Appellant) Laura Cullen (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: N Owens SC with N Newton (Appellant) D Toomey SC with B Jones (Respondent)