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WILSON v LEVY
SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES — COURT OF APPEAL
PRIESTLEY JA, POWELL JA and COHEN AJA
31 October 1995
[1995] NSWCA 523
Priestley JA, Powell JA and Cohen AJA. The claimant in this summons
seeks leave to appeal against the costs order made by His Honour Judge Christie
after a trial in which Judge Christie had entered judgment in favour of the
plaintiff Mr Levy, (the opponent).
The claimant had argued before Judge Christie that he was entitled to a costs
order pursuant to Pt 19A r 9(6) of the District Court Rules, unless the court
otherwise ordered. Judge Christie ordered otherwise.
The claimant submitted that leave should be granted so that the court could
correct what was said to be either a clear departure from principle by the trial
judge, or a misinterpretation of the rules.
The combination of three considerations leads the court to refuse to grant
leave.
The first is that from the materials before the court it seems clear that the court
does not now, and would not on the hearing of an appeal be able to know the full
course of events concerning costs which were known to thetrial judge. The
court's picture of certain aspects of the facts relating to costs is not at all clear and
does not seem to be curable.
The second is that on what is presently known to the court, although it may be
that there is reason for thinking the trial judge did not adhere to the letter of the
relevant rules, the result he arrived at does not seem to be unjust.
The third consideration is that the court does not readily grant leave to appeal
against costs orders and tends to leave the making of appropriate costs orders
very much in the hands of trial judges, unless some important matter of principle
or manifest injustice is involved.
The result is that the present case is not one in which it is appropriate that leave
to appeal be granted.
The summons is dismissed with costs.
Orders accordingly.