"SD" & 2 Ors v Director General of Community Welfare Services (Vic) & 3 Ors [2001] NSWSC 441

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : "SD" & 2 Ors v Director General of Community Welfare Services (Vic) & 3 Ors [2001] NSWSC 441 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20148/2000 HEARING DATE(S) : 2 April 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 30 May 2001

"SD" (First Plaintiff)

"BD" (Second Plaintiff)

"JD" (Third Plaintiff)

Director General of Community Welfare Services (Vic) PARTIES : (First Defendant)

The Minister for Community Welfare Services (Vic) (Second Defendant)

State of Victoria (Third Defendant)

The Minister for Community Services (NSW) (Fourth Defendant)

JUDGMENT OF : Master Harrison

Mr P Gray (Plaintiffs)

COUNSEL : Mr M Scott (First to Third Defendants)

Mr T H Barrett (Fifth Defendant) Carroll & O'Dea (Plaintiffs)

SOLICITORS : Sparke Helmore (First to Third Defendants)

Crown Solicitor (Fifth Defendant) CATCHWORDS : Extension of time to commence proceedings ss 60G and I - Limitation Act - Wards of the States of Victoria and NSW Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) LEGISLATION CITED : Child Welfare Act 1939 (NSW) Victoria Social Welfare Act Williams v Minister, Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1982 & Anor (1994-95) 35 NSWLR 497 Johnson v DOCS [1999] NSWSC 1156 Commonwealth of Australia v Dinnison (1995) 56 FCR 389 Harris v Commercial Minerals Limited (1995-96) 186 CLR 1 Deming No 456 Pty Ltd v Brisbane Unit Development Corporation Pty Ltd (1983) 155 CLR 129 Drayton Coal Board Pty Limited v Drain (NSWCA Gleeson CJ, unreported 22 August 1995) Szerdahelyi v Bailey; Ortado v Bailey; Lewis v Bailey (unreported, NSWSC Badgery-Parker J, 1 May 1997) CASES CITED : Council of the City of Sydney v Zegarac (1997-98) 43 NSWLR 128 Dow Corning Australia Pty Ltd v Paton, Mears v Paton (unreported NSWCA, 24 April 1998) Fitzgerald v Bankstown City Council (unreported, NSWCA, 6 November 1995) Williams v Minister, Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 & Anor (2) [2000] NSWCA 255 Cubillo v Commonwealth of Australia (1999) 163 ALR 395 Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71 Sovar v Henry Lane Pty Limited (1966-67) 116 CLR 397 Stubbs v NRMA Insurance Limited (1997) 42 NSWLR 550 Holt v Wynter [2000] 49 NSWLR 148 DECISION : (1) The plaintiffs are granted an extension of time within which to commence proceedings in this court for damages in respect of the breaches of the duty of care owed to the plaintiffs by the first, second, third and fifth defendants between at least 12 October 1979 until at least January 1986 up to an inclduing 20 April 2000; (2) The plaintiffs are to pay the defendants' costs.