Ruddock & Ors v Taylor [2003] NSWCA 262

Reported Decision : 58 NSWLR 269

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Ruddock & Ors v Taylor [2003] NSWCA 262 HEARING DATE(S) : 04/08/03 JUDGMENT DATE : 18 September 2003

JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Meagher JA at 58; Ipp JA at 84 DECISION : 1. Appeal and cross-appeal dismissed; 2. The Appellants/Cross-Respondents pay 90 per cent of the costs of the Respondent/Cross-Appellant.

CATCHWORDS : TORT: False imprisonment - Position of executive government - Causation - Damages for false imprisonment - RES JUDICATA: Issue estoppel - reasonableness ADMINISTRATIVE LAW: Ministerial decision making - Automatic or self-executing decisions Migration Act 1958 (Cth) Supreme Court Rules Pt 1 r 3 LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Australian Citizenship Amendment Act 1984 (Cth) National Security Act 1939 Civil Liability Amendment (Personal Responsibility) Act 2002 Cowell v Corrective Services Commission of New South Wales (1988) 13 NSWLR 714 at 743 R v Governor of Brockhill Prison Ex parte Evans (No 2) [2001] 2 AC 19 Eshugbayi Eleko v Officer Administraing the Government of Nigeria [1931] AC 662 at 670-671 Nolan v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1988) 165 CLR 178 Re Patterson; Ex parte Taylor (2001) 207 CLR 391 Minister for Immigration v Bhardwaj (2002) 209 CLR 597 Plaintiff S157/2002 v Commonwealth (2003) 77 ALJR 454 Myers Stores Limited v Soo [1991] 2 VR 597 Spautz v Butterworth (1996) 41 NSWLR 1 Cubillo v Commonwealth (2001) 112 FCR 455 Williams v Milotin (1957) 97 CLR 465 at 474 Aitken v Bedwell (1827) Mood & M 68; 173 ER 1084 Dickenson v Waters Ltd (1931) 31 SR (NSW) 593 at 595-596 Pike v Waldrum and Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company [1952] 1 Lloyd's Rep 431 at 454-455 Davidson v Chief Constable of North Wales [1994] 2 All ER 59 CASES CITED : Hutchins v Maughan [1947] VLR 131 at 133 Platt v Nutt (1988) 12 NSWLR 231 at 244-246 Stanley v Powell [1891] 1 QB 86 McHale v Watson (1964) 111 CLR 384 at 388 Re Wakim; Ex parte McNally (1999) 198 CLR 511 Thompson v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [1998] QB 498 at 515 Pochi v Macphee (1982) 151 CLR 101 Little v Commonwealth (1947) 75 CLR 94 Marshall v Watson (1972) 124 CLR 640 Webster v Lampard (1993) 177 CLR 598 Veivers v Roberts [1980] Qd R 226 Percy v Hall [1997] QB P24 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589 Bonnington Castings Ltd v Wardlaw [1956] AC 613 Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd [2003] 1 AC 32 Chester v Afshar [2002] 3 WLR 1195 Chappel v Hart (1998) 195 CLR 232 Philip Ruddock & Ors PARTIES : v Graham Ernest Taylor FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40082 of 2003 COUNSEL : A: D Bennett QC, SG, R Burbidge QC, G Johnson R: Dr C Birch, D Ash SOLICITORS : A: Australian Government Solicitor R: Teakle Ormsby Conn