"MA" & 2 Ors v Swanson & Anor [2000] NSWSC 1003

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : "MA" & 2 Ors v Swanson & Anor [2000] NSWSC 1003 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20206/97 HEARING DATE(S) : 25 October 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 31 October 2000

"MA" (First Plaintiff)

"TA" (Second Plaintiff)

PARTIES : "SA" (Third Plaintiff)

Kim Marie Swanson (First Defendant)

State of New South Wales (Second Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Master Harrison

Ms M Bateman (Plaintiffs) COUNSEL : Mr M W Anderson (Second Defendant) Harwood Andrews Lawyers Geelong. Victoria SOLICITORS : (Plaintiffs)

Crown Solicitors (Second Defendant) CATCHWORDS : Summary judgment - dismissal for want of prosecution Supreme Court Rules - Part 33 r 6; Part 13 r 5 LEGISLATION CITED : Children (Care and Protection) Act 1987 Community Welfare Act 1972 (SA) Child Welfare Act Birkett v James [1977] 2 All ER 801; Ac 297 at 318 Witten v Lombard Australia Ltd (1968) 88 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 405 at 411 Southern Cross Exploration NL v Fire & All Risks Insurance Co Ltd (1986) 4 NSWLR 491 McKenna v McKenna [1984] VR 665 Stollznow v Calvert [1980] 2 NSWLR 749 Air Services Australia v Zarb (NSWSC unreported 26 August 1998) Dey v Victorian Railway Commissioners (1948-49( 78 CLR 62 CASES CITED : General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (1964) 112 CLR 125 Webster & Anor v Lampard (1993) 177 CLR 598 Contribution Fund of Australia v Hunt (1982) 44 ALR 365 at 373-374 Gibson v Parkes District Hospital (1991-92) 26 NSWLR 9 at 35 CLT v Connon [2000] SASC 223 TC v State of New South Wales [1999] NSWSC 31 X Minors v Bedfordshire County Council [1995] 2 AC 633 Hillman v Black (1996) SASR 490 Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee [1999] HCA 59; (1999) 74 ALJR 1 DECISION : See para 34