Joseph Tak-Wong Wong & Anor v Mura [2001] NSWCA 366

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Joseph Tak-Wong Wong & Anor v Mura [2001] NSWCA 366 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40246/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 26 September 2001 JUDGMENT DATE : 15 October 2001

PARTIES : Joseph Tak-Wong Wong and Austcorp No 457 Pty Limited v Rocco Mura JUDGMENT OF : Priestley JA at 1; Fitzgerald AJA at 5; Rolfe AJA at 33

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT DC 6767/98 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT His Honour Judge Goldring JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Appellant - T.E.F. Hughes QC / S.C. Dowling Respondent - J.M. Ireland QC / J.E. Stuckey-Clarke SOLICITORS : Appellant - Smits Leslie Respondent - Marsdens CATCHWORDS : CONTRACT - offer and acceptance - whether conduct of the parties sufficient to demonstrate acceptance - whether silence can indicate acceptance - CONTRACT - capacity to bind third party - agency - authority to bind a company prior to becoming an officer of the company - PLEADINGS - whether trial judge properly disregarded the pleadings LEGISLATION CITED : Fair Trading Act 1987 Suitors Fund Act Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council [2001] NSWCA 61 Brogden v Metropolitan Railway Co (1877) 2 App Cas 666 CASES CITED: Empirnall Holdings Pty Ltd v Machon Paull Partners Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 523 Integrated Computer Services Pty Ltd v Digital Equipment Corp (Aust) Pty Ltd (1988) 5 BPR 11, 110; Pobjie Agencies Pty Ltd v Vinidex Tubemakers Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 105 Vickery v Woods (1952) 85 CLR 336 DECISION : Appeals allowed with costs. Judgment below set aside. Mura's action dismissed with costs. Mura to have a certificate under the Suitors Fund Act if qualified.