BT v Oei [1999] NSWSC 1082

New South Wales Supreme Court CITATION : BT v Oei [1999] NSWSC 1082 CURRENT JURISDICTION : Common Law FILE NUMBER(S) : 20143/95 HEARING DATE(S) : 15/6/99; 16/6/99; 17/6/99; 18/6/99; 20/7/99; 21/7/99; 22/7/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 5 November 1999

BT as Administratrix of the Estate of the Late AT (First Plaintiff) PARTIES : BT (Second Plaintiff) Dr Michael Oei (Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Bell J at 1

COUNSEL : Mr P Menzies QC/Ms L Whalan (Plaintiffs) Mr P Garling SC/Ms J Lonergan (Defendant) SOLICITORS : Maurice Blackburn Cashman (Plaintiffs) Tress Cocks & Maddox (Defendant) CATCHWORDS : Negligence; Duty of care; Whether medical practitioner owes duty to sexual partner of practitioner's patient - Principles governing recognition of duty Medical Practitioners Act 1938 ACTS CITED : Public Health Act 1991 Public Health Regulation 1991 Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1944 Jaensch v Coffey (1984) 155 CLR 549 Bryan v Maloney (1995) 182 CLR 609 Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd v Peat Marwick Hungerford (1997) 188 CLR 241 Perre v Apand Pty Ltd [1999] HCA 36; (1999) 73 ALJR 1190 Hill v Van Erp (1997) 188 CLR 159 Pyrenees Shire Council v Day [1998] HCA 3; (1998) 192 CLR 330 Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1985) 157 CLR 424 Pittman Estate v Bain (1994) 112 DLR (4th) 257 Reisner v Regents of the University of California 37 Cal Rptr 2d 518 (1995) CASES CITED : Di Marco v Lynch Homes-Chester County Inc 583 A 2d 422 (1990) Di Marco v Lynch Homes-Chester County Inc 559 A 2d 530 (1989) Goodwill v British Pregnancy Advisory Service [1996] 2 All ER 161 Caltex Oil (Australia) P/L v The Dredge 'Willemstad' (1976) 136 CLR 529 Alcock v Chief Constable (1992) 1 AC 310 Voli v Inglewood Shire Council (1963) 110 CLR 74 Lownes v Woods [1996] Aust Torts Reports 81-376 Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479 Ellis v Wallsend District Hospital (1989) 17 NSWLR 553 Swan v Williams (Demolition) Pty Ltd (1987) 9 NSWLR 172 DECISION : See para 197