Ah Tong v Wingecarribee Council [2003] NSWCA 381

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Ah Tong v Wingecarribee Council [2003] NSWCA 381 HEARING DATE(S) : 15/12/03 JUDGMENT DATE : 19 December 2003

JUDGMENT OF : Giles JA at 1; Ipp JA at 21; Tobias JA at 83 DECISION : In each case CA 40526/03 & CA 40527/03: (1) Application for leave to appeal granted. (2) Appeal allowed. (3) Set aside the verdict and judgment of Dodd DCJ of 1 November 2002 and in lieu thereof enter a verdict and judgment for the claimant in the sum of $40,000. (4) Order that the opponent pay the costs of the claimant in the District Court and the costs of the appeal. (5) The opponent to be entitled to a certificate under the Suitors' Fund Act 1951 if otherwise entitled.

CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE - Claim by parents for damages for mental trauma resulting from death of son who fell down cliff at reserve maintained by opponent - Whether opponent should have installed safety fences - Whether opponent should have erected warning signs - Whether the risk of cliff edges being proximate to picnic area or bush path was obvious. ND Abalos v Australian Postal Commission (1990) 171 CLR 167 Australian Safeway Stores Pty Ltd v Zaluzna (1987) 162 CLR 479 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council; Ghantous v Hawkesbury City Council (2001) 206 CLR 512 David Jones (Canberra) Pty Ltd v Stone (1970) 123 CLR 185 Francis & Ors v Lewis [2003] NSWCA 152 Hoyts Pty Ltd v Burns (2003) 201 ALR 470 CASES CITED : Parsons v Randwick Municipal Council [2003] NSWCA 171 Reynolds v Katoomba RSL All Services Club Limited (2001) 53 NSWLR 43 Richmond Valley Council v Standing (2002) Aust Torts Reports 81-679 Tame v New South Wales; Annetts v Australian Stations Pty Ltd (2002) 191 ALR 449 Van Der Sluice v Display Craft Pty Ltd [2002] NSWCA 204 Waverley Municipal Council v Swain (2003) Aust Torts Reports 81-694 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40 CA 40526/03 Rosie Lucia Ah Tong (Claimant) PARTIES : Wingecarribee Shire Council (Opponent) CA 40527/03 Ronald Kelvin Ah Tong (Claimant) Wingecarribee Shire Council (Opponent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40526/03; 40527/03 CA 40526/03; CA 40527/03 COUNSEL : D E Baran (Claimants) J E Maconachie QC/N Polin (Opponent) CA 40526/03; CA 40527/03 SOLICITORS : Buttar Caldwell & Company (Claimants) Phillips Fox (Opponent)