Micallef v ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd & Anor [2001] NSWCA 274

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Micallef v ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd & Anor [2001] NSWCA 274 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40522/00; 40060/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 8 August 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 27 August 2001

Elizabeth Micallef (Appellant) PARTIES : ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd (First Respondent) Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd (Second Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Sheller JA at 1; Heydon JA at 2; Studdert AJA at 96

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT DC 10710/97 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Garling DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

G T W Miller QC/M G McHugh (Appellant) COUNSEL : J N West QC/G B Evans (First Respondent) P J Deakin QC/N Newton (Second Respondent) G H Healey & Co - Glebe (Appellant) SOLICITORS : N W Aussel (First Respondent) Pricewaterhousecoopers Legal (Second Respondent) CATCHWORDS : Civil Practice and Procedure - Dismissal for want of prosecution - Whether exercise of discretion of District Court Judge to strike out proceedings miscarried - Circumstances when appellate court will allow appeal against interlocutory judgment on practice and procedure - Where three District Court orders to file updated particulars were breached by plaintiff who failed to file the particulars by the dates specified in the orders - District Court Rules 1973 (NSW), Part 18 rule 3(1) - D Arbitration (Civil Actions) Act 1983 LEGISLATION CITED : District Court Act 1973 Supreme Court Act 1970 Allen v Sir Alfred McAlpine & Sons Ltd [1968] 2 QB 229 Australian Iron and Shale Employees' Federation v The Commonwealth (1953) 94 CLR 621 Birkett v James [1978] AC 297 House v R (1936) 55 CLR 499 Jackamarra v Krakouer (1998) 195 CLR 516 CASES CITED: Lovell v Lovell (1950) 81 CLR 513 Queensland v J L Holdings Pty Ltd (1997) 189 CLR 146 Sali v SPC Ltd (1993) 67 ALJR 841 Stollznow v Calvert [1980] 2 NSWLR 749 Wentworth v Rogers (No 3) (1968) 6 NSWLR 642 Witten v Lombard Australia Ltd (1968) 88 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 405 DECISION : See paras 94 and 95