Morrow v chinadotcom [2001] NSWSC 209

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Morrow v chinadotcom [2001] NSWSC 209 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity Division FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 1690/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 26/03/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 28 March 2001

Hugh Morrow - First Plaintiff Think New Media Pty Limited - Second Plaintiff Parree Pty Limited - Third Plaintiff PARTIES : G. Thomas Nominees Pty Limited - Fourth Plaintiff chinadotcom corporation - First Defendant The Persons Identified in Schedule A of the Summons Trading as Ernst & Young - Second Defendant XT3 Pty Limited - Third Defendant JUDGMENT OF :

Mr B.W. Walker SC/Mr T.D. Castle - Plaintiffs COUNSEL : Mr R.B.S. Macfarlan QC/Dr A.S. Bell - First Defendant Mr C.E. Moore - Second Defendant Atanaskovic Hartnell - Plaintiffs SOLICITORS : Allen Allen & Hemsley - First Defendant Clayton Utz - Second Defendant CATCHWORDS : Stay of proceedings - stay pending resort to contractual dispute resolution - whether contractual provision sufficiently certain. - Court ordered mediation - whether Court should order mediation over opposition of party - relevant considerations discussed. Fair Trading Act 1987 Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Act 1970 Supreme Court Rules Supreme Court Amendment (Referral of Proceedings) Act 2000 Scott v Avery (1855) 5 HLC 811 Huddart Parker Ltd v The Ship Mill Hill (1950) 81 CLR 502 Badgin Nominees Pty Ltd v Oneida Ltd 18 December 1998 [1998] VCS 188 Francis Travel Marketing Pty Ltd v Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd (1996) 39 NSWLR 160 Australian Securities Commission v Bank Leumi Le-Israel (1996) 69 FCR 531 Hooper Bailie Associated Ltd v Natcon Group Pty Ltd (1992) 28 NSWLR 194 Elizabeth Bay Developments Pty Ltd v Boral Building Services Pty Ltd (1995) 36 NSWLR 709 CASES CITED : Aiton Australia Pty Ltd v Transfield Pty Ltd (1999) 153 FLR 236 Computershare Ltd v Perpetual Registrars Ltd 6 June 2000 [2000] VSC 223 Hopcroft v Olsen 21 December 1998 [1998] SASC 7009 Baulderstone Hornibrook Engineering Pty Ltd v Dare Sutton Clarke Pty Ltd 7 June 2000 [2000] SASC 159 O'Connor v LEAW Pty Ltd (1997) 42 NSWLR 285 Burke v Humphrey 18 December 2000 [200] TASSC 178 Booker Industries Pty Ltd v Wilson Parking (Qld) Pty Ltd (1982) 149 CLR 600 D. Spencer, "Mandatory Mediation and Neutral Evaluation: A Reality in New South Wales" (2000) 11 ADRJ 237 DECISION : The Notice of Motion is dismissed with costs.