NRMA v YATES [1999] NSWSC 701

New South Wales Supreme Court CITATION : NRMA v YATES [1999] NSWSC 701 CURRENT JURISDICTION : Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : 1486/99 HEARING DATE(S) : 18/06/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 13 July 1999

PARTIES : NRMA v IAN YATES JUDGMENT OF : Master Macready at 1

COUNSEL : T.E.F. Hughes QC & A Leopold for the plaintiffs J. Garnsey QC and B.J. Camilleri for the defendant SOLICITORS : Freehill Hollingdame & Page for the plaintiffs Mr B.J. Camilleri CATCHWORDS : Practice. Whether whole defence or merely parts of the defence should be struck out. Held following Trade Practices Commission v David Jones Aust Pty Ltd 7 FC 109 at 115 and Turner v The Bulletin Newspaper Co Pty Ltd (1974) 131 CLR 69 at 94 that the whole of the defence should be struck out.; Equity. General principles. Defences to claims of disclosure of confidential information. Nature of public interest defence discussed. Whether it is arguable that the English approach to this defence may be followed in Australia. Gartside v Outram (1857) 26 LJ Ch 113, Attorney General v Observer Ltd (1990) 1 AC 109 Castrol Aust Pty Ltd v Emtech Associates Pty Ltd (1980) 33 ALR 31 Beloff v Pressdram Ltd (1973) 1 AllER 241 Bacich v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1992) 29 NSWLR CASES CITED : Corrs Pavey Whiting & Byrne v The Collector of Customs (1987) 14 FCR 434 A v Hayden (1984) 156 CLR 532 Allied Mills Industries Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1980) 55 FLR 125 Woodward v Hutchins (1977) 1 WLR 760 David Syme & Co Ltd v General Motors-Holden's Ltd (1984) 2 NSWLR 294 Attorney-General (UK) v Heinemann Publishers Australia Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 86. DECISION : Para 67