Edmunds-Jones Pty Ltd & 1 Ors v Australian Women's Hockey Association Inc [1999] NSWSC 1014

New South Wales Supreme Court CITATION : Edmunds-Jones Pty Ltd & 1 Ors v Australian Women's Hockey Association Inc [1999] NSWSC 1014 revised - 11/10/99 CURRENT JURISDICTION : Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : 2180/96 HEARING DATE(S) : 23/06/98, 24/06/98, 25/06/98, 26/06/98, 15/03/99, 16/03/99, 17/03/99, 18/03/99, 19/03/99, 24/03/99, 23/06/99, 07/09/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 7 October 1999

Edmund-Jones Pty Limited ACN 002 672 684 (First Plaintiff) PARTIES : Helen Elizabeth Jones (Second Plaintiff) Australian Women's Hockey Association Inc ARBN 053 965 610 (Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Santow J

COUNSEL : J B Simpkins (First and Second Plaintiffs) D E Grieve, QC/ G P F Rundle (Defendant) SOLICITORS : Minter Ellison (First and Second Plaintiffs) Norton Smith & Co (Defendant) CATCHWORDS : CONTRACT — Was consultancy agreement providing for various commission-type payments on third party sponsorship to association governing Australian women's hockey void for uncertainty — Use of "and/or" — Distinction between ambiguity and uncertainty — Construction of contract — Principles — Independence or interdependence of obligations of consultant and association ; EVIDENCE — Failure to put allegations of untruthfulness against plaintiff in cross-examination — Unfairness and principle of Browne v Dunn.; WORDS AND PHRASES — "Sponsorship"; "and/or"; "renew" Allied Pastoral Holdings Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [1983] 1 NSWLR 1 Allstate Explorations NL v Beaconsfield Gold NL [1999] NSWSC 832 at paras 39-44 (Santow J, 25 August 1999, unreported) Australian Broadcasting Commission v Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (1973) 129 CLR 99 Automatic Fire Sprinklers Pty Ltd v Watson (1946) 72 CLR 435 Bonitto v Fuerst Bros [1944] EC 75 Browne v Dunn (1894) 6 R 67 (HL) Colley v Overseas Exporters [1921] 3 KB 302 Coomera Resort Pty Ltd v Kolback Securities Ltd & Ors (Mackenzie J, BC9800289, 20 February 1998, unreported) Cuthbert v Cumming (1855) 10 Exch 809; 156 ER 668 Esso Australia Ltd v R T & M R Abella Pty Ltd (1989) 91 ALR 476 Fibrosa Spolka Akcyjna v Fairbairn Lawson Combe Babour Ltd [1943] AC 32 Gurney v Grimer [1932] 38 Comm Cas 7 Hillas & Co Ltd v Arcos Ltd 147 LT 503 CASES CITED : Hyde & Skin Trading Pty Ltd v Oceanic Meat Traders Ltd (1990) 20 NSWLR 310 Locke v Dunlop 39 ChD 387 McDonald v Dennys Lascelles Limited (1933) 48 CLR 457 Mcfarlane v Daniell [1938] 38 SR(NSW) 337 Mannai Investment Co Ltd v Eagle Star Life Assurance Co Ltd [1997] 2 WLR 945 Meehan v Jones (1982) 149 CLR 571 Michael Realty Pty Ltd v Carr [1975] 2 NSWLR 812 (aff. [1977] 1 NSWLR 553) Millen v Grove [1945] VLR 259 Ryan v Ferguson (1909) 8 CLR 731 Spunwill Pty Ltd v BAB Pty Ltd (1994) 36 NSWLR 290 10th Cantanae Pty Ltd v Shoshana Pty Ltd (1987) 18 FCR 285; 79 ALR 299 Top Performance Motors Pty Ltd v Ira Berk (Qld) Pty Ltd (1975) 5 ALR 465 Trade Practices Commission v Tooth & Co (1979) 142 CLR 307 York Air Conditioning & Refrigeration (A'asia) Pty Ltd v The Commonwealth (1949) 80 CLR 11 DECISION : Plaintiffs entitled to commission claimed.