Siemens v Schenker [2001] NSWSC 658

(2001) 162 FLR 469 Reported Decision : [2001] NSWSC 658 [2001] ACL Rep 35 NSW 1

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Siemens v Schenker [2001] NSWSC 658 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity Division Commerecial List FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 50152/98 HEARING DATE(S) : 18/07/01, 19/07/01, 20/07/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 6 August 2001

Siemens Ltd - Plaintiff PARTIES : Schenker International (Australia) Pty Ltd - First Defendant Schenker International Deutschland GmbH - Second Defendant JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J

COUNSEL : Mr I.G. Roberts - Plaintiff Mr R.J.H. Darke - Defendants SOLICITORS : O'Reilly Sever & Co - Plaintiff Blake Dawson Waldron - Defendants CATCHWORDS : AVIATION - carriage by air - damage to cargo between airport of destination and bonded warehouse - Warsaw Convention arts.18 and 22 - meaning of "in an aerodrome" - definition of airport site by Commonwealth law - whether warehouse outside airport boundary constructively within airport - construction of house air waybill - whether liability limitation clause applies to transportation after air carriage complete - common law liability for breach of contract, negligence and breach of bailment - whether undamaged portion of cargo so dependent for utility on portion damaged as to be reduced to salvage value only - liability for damages established - question of currency in which judgment should be entered to be argued Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959 (Cth) Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) Airports Act 1996 (Cth) LEGISLATION CITED : Airports Regulations 1997 (Cth) Transfer of Land Act 1958 (Vic) Customs Act 1901 (Cth) Warsaw Convention Shipping Corporation of India Ltd v Gamlen Chemical Co Australasia Pty Ltd (1980) 147 CLR 142 Emery Air Freight Corporation v Merck Sharpe & Dohme (Australia) Pty Ltd (1999) 47 NSWLR 696 SS Pharmaceutical Ltd v Qantas Airways Ltd [1991] 1 Lloyd's Rep 288 Sidhu v British Airways plc [1997] AC 430 El Al Israel Airlines Ltd v Tseng 525 US 155 (1999) Gal v Northern Mountain Helicopters Inc (1999) 54 BCLR 87 Emery Air Freight Corporation v Nerine Nurseries Ltd [1997] 3 NZLR 723 Seagate Technology International v Changi Airport Services Pty Ltd [1997] 3 SLR 9 Victoria Sales Corporation v Emery Air Freight Inc 917 F2d 705 (2nd Cir 1990) General Electric Co v Harper Robinson & Co 818 F Supp 31 (EDNY 1993) Hitachi Data System Corp v Nippon Cargo Airlines Co (unreported, ND Cal, 6 January 1995) CASES CITED : Igudesman v Aircargo Handling Services (unreported, ND Cal, 3 February 1995) Read-Rite Corp v Burlington Air Express Ltd 186 F 3d 190 (9th Cir Cal 1999) Aerofloral Inc v Rodricargo Express Corp 756 So 2d 234 (Fla Dist Ct App 3d Dist 2000) International Cargo Express Ltd v U-Jin Enterprises Inc [1997] 2 NZLR 712 Rolls Royce plc v Heavylift-Volga DNEPR Ltd [2000] 1 Lloyd's Rep 653 Chan v Korean Airlines 490 US 122 (1989) The Amiable Isabella 6 Wheat 1 (1821) Fothergill v Monarch Airlines Ltd [1981] AC 251 Kotsambasis v Singapore Airlines Ltd (1997) 42 NSWLR 110 American Airlines Inc v Georgeopoulos (No 2) (unreported, NSWCA, 5 August 1998) Life Savers (Australasia) Ltd v Frigmobile Pty Ltd [1983] 1 NSWLR 431 Allied Implants Technology Ltd v Lufthansa Cargo AG [2000] 1 All ER (Comm) 958 L. Brown, "Carriage by Air: Only One Cause of Action" [1997] NZLJ 241 DECISION : Plaintiff entitled to judgment for full amount of loss. Defendants to pay plaintiff's costs.