Cheney & Wilson v Duncan [2001] NSWCA 197

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Cheney & Wilson v Duncan [2001] NSWCA 197 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40093/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 29/06/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 6 July 2001

PARTIES : Anthony Arnold Cheney & Peter Neil Wilson v Michael Ronald Duncan JUDGMENT OF : Meagher JA at 1; Handley JA at 2; Ipp AJA at 3

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT 1440/99 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT O'Reilly DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : D L Davies SC (Appellants) M W Hadley (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Ebsworth & Ebsworth (Appellants) Attwood Marshall (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : LIMITATION PERIOD - When does time begin to run? - Limitation Act 1969 - action against solicitor for losses arising from statute barring of original damages claim - applicability of exception to general rule espoused by Deane J in Hawkins v Clayton (1988) 164 CLR 539. D LEGISLATION CITED : Limitation Act 1969 Hawkins v Clayton (1988) 164 CLR 539 Wardley Australia Limited v Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 Scarcella v Lettice [2000] NSWCA 289 Pirelli General Cable Works Limited v Oscar Faber & Partners (a firm) [1983] 2 AC 1 Sampson v Zucker (NSW Court of Appeal, unreported, 11 December 1996) Johnson v Perez (1988) 166 CLR 351 CASES CITED: Nikolaou v Papasavas, Phillips & Company (1989) 166 CLR 394 Registrar-General v Cleaver (1996) 41 NSWLR 713 Hetherington v Mirvac Pty Limited (1999) Aust Torts Reports 81-514 Crisp v Blake (1992) Aust Torts Reports 81-158 Toomey v WALS (1999) NSWSC 560 Wilson v Rigg [2000] NSWSC 16 Di Sante v Camando Nominees Pty Limited [2000] VSC 211 Doundoulakis v Antony Sdrinis & Co [1989] VR 781 DECISION : (1) Appeal upheld (2) Summary judgment in favour of the appellant (3) Respondent's claim against appellant dismissed with costs (4) Respondent to have certificate under Suitor's Fund Act, if so entitled.