Lakatoi Universal Pty Ltd & Ors v Langley Alexander Walker & Ors [2000] NSWSC 633

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Lakatoi Universal Pty Ltd & Ors v Langley Alexander Walker & Ors [2000] NSWSC 633 FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 50035/98; 50109/98; 50110/98; 1798/98 DC HEARING DATE(S) : 5/11/99 JUDGMENT DATE : 5 November 1999

50035/98 Lakatoi Universal Pty Ltd & Ors v Langley Alexander Walker & Ors PARTIES : 50109/98 Ensile Pty Ltd v Walker Consolidated Investments Pty Ltd 50110/98 Ensile Pty Ltd v Walker Consolidated Investments Pty Ltd 1798/98 Ensile Pty Ltd v Walker Consolidated Investments Pty Ltd (District Court) JUDGMENT OF : Einstein J

COUNSEL : RJ Ellicott QC, VRW Gray, AE Galasso, SD O'Campo (Plaintiffs) AB Shand QC, DPF Officer QC, RJ Powell, CJ Leggat (Defendants) SOLICITORS : Gye & Associates (Plaintiffs) Perkes & Stone (Defendants) CATCHWORDS : Evidence - Expert evidence - requirements of admissibility - Necessity for expert evidence to be within relevant field of expertise - Necessity for expert witness to state with precision the assumptions upon which their evidence rests - Necessity for expert evidence to be in a form comprehensible to the Court. - Discretion of Court to reject evidence - Discretion to reject evidence on the ground that its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice - Unfair prejudice consisting of forensically awkward position. LEGISLATION CITED : Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Evidence Act 1995 CASES CITED : Frye v United States - 293F 1013 (1923) Trust Company of Australia Limited v Perpetual Trustees WA Limited (unreported, Supreme Court of New South Wales, McLelland CJ in Equity, 18 September 1996) DECISION : Evidence allowed in part.