Idoport v NAB [1999] NSWSC 686

New South Wales Supreme Court CITATION : Idoport v NAB [1999] NSWSC 686 CURRENT JURISDICTION : Commercial FILE NUMBER(S) : 50113/98 HEARING DATE(S) : 25/06/99, 02/07/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 8 July 1999

Idoport Pty Limited and Market Holdings Pty Limited - Plaintiffs PARTIES : National Australia Bank Limited, National Markets Group Limited, National Australia Financial Management Limited, Australian Market Automated Quotation (AUSMAQ) System Limited, Messrs G.L.L. Barnes, F.J. Cicutto, D.M. Krasnostein, K.F. Courtney and R.A. McKimm - Defendants JUDGMENT OF : Rolfe J

COUNSEL : Plaintiffs - Mr J.J.J. Garnsey QC/Mr M.C.L. Dicker Defendants - Mr H.K. Insall SOLICITORS : Plaintiffs - Freehill Hollingdale & Page Defendants - Withnell Hetherington CATCHWORDS : Witness Statements - Claim for confidentiality such that they not be disclosed to certain parties - Rights of Parties - Purpose of Witness Statements.; Warner-Lambert Co v Glaxo Laboratories Limited [1975] RPC 354; Magellan Petroleum Australia Limited v Sagasco Amadeus Pty Limited [1994] 2 QdR 37; Ex parte Fielder Gillespie Limited [1984] 2 QdR 339 at p.341; Hadid v Lenfest Communications Inc & Ors (1996) 70 FLR 403 considered. DECISION : Claim for complete confidentiality rejected.

THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES EQUITY DIVISION COMMERCIAL LIST

ROLFE J

THURSDAY, 8 JULY 1999

50113/1998 - IDOPORT PTY LIMITED & ANOR v NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK LIMITED & ORS

JUDGMENT

HIS HONOUR:

Introduction 1 Idoport Pty Limited, ("JMG"), and Market Holdings Pty Limited, ("Market Holdings"), for which Mr J.J.J. Garnsey of Queen's Counsel and Mr M.C.L. Dicker of Counsel appeared, instituted these proceedings against National Australia Bank Limited, ("NAB"), National Markets Group Limited, ("NMG"), National Australia Financial Management Limited, ("NAFM"), Australian Market Automated Quotation (AUSMAQ) System Limited, ("AUSMAQ Systems"), and Messrs G.L.L. Barnes, F.J. Cicutto, D.M. Krasnostein, K.F. Courtney and R.A. McKimm, for which and whom Mr H.K. Insall of Counsel appeared. 2 On 3 February 1999 the plaintiffs filed a Further Amended Statement of Claim. I am presently concerned with two Notices of Motion filed on the plaintiffs' behalf relating to the extent to which, if at all, access to several witness statements, including those of experts, relevant to the computation of the very substantial damages claimed by the plaintiffs in the order of some billions of dollars, should be given to some of the defendants; and the extent of discovery. In this judgment I shall consider the confidentiality issue, and, to understand what it raises, it is necessary to consider, albeit somewhat generally, the nature of the allegations made in the Further Amended Statement of Claim and certain agreements into which the parties entered.