VLASSIS v. AAMI [2000] NSWSC 1188

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : VLASSIS v. AAMI [2000] NSWSC 1188 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 10606 of 2000 HEARING DATE(S) : Thursday 16 November 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 14 December 2000

PARTIES : VLASSIS, James v. AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED MOTOR INSURERS LIMITED JUDGMENT OF : Greg James J at 1

LOWER COURT Local Court JURISDICTION : LOWER COURT 2288/99 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT J.R. Dive JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Plaintiff: R. Cavanagh Defendant: J. Duncan/S. Loughnan SOLICITORS : Plaintiff: Owen Hodge Defendant: Potts Latimer CATCHWORDS : Local Court (Civil Claims) Act proceedings - action on insurance policy for damage to car - defence of fraud - onus on party raising fraud - circumstantial case - direct testimony to the contrary - no express rejection of testimony - requirements for express reasons - necessity to express crucial reasons - necessity to consider and expressly deal with party's case - reasons inadequate - underlying errors of law - proceedings remitted. Insurance Contracts Act LEGISLATION CITED : Local Courts (Civil Claims) Act Justices Act Neat Holdings Pty. Limited v. Karajan Holdings Pty. Limited (1992) 67 ALJR 170 Azzopardi v. Tasman UEB Industries Limited (1985) 4 NSWLR 139 McPhee v. S. Bennett Limited (1935) 52 WN (NSW) 8 Soulemezis v. Dudley (Holdings) Pty. Limited (1987) 10 NSWLR 271 CASES CITED : Williams v. Bill Williams Pty. Limited (1971) 1 NSWLR 547 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal v. Bond (1990) 170 CLR 321 Thompson v. Government Insurance Office of New South Wales (Rolfe, J., unreported 15 June 1994) Dinsdale [2000] HCA 54 Maxwell (CCA, unreported 23 December 1998) DECISION : Extension of time granted; appeal upheld; remit to the magistrate; defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs.