Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Spira [2002] NSWSC 905

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Spira [2002] NSWSC 905 FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 50066/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 16/09/02,17/09/02,18/09/02,19/09/02,20/09/02,23/09/02,24/09/02,25/09/02,26/09/02,27/09/02,3/10/02 JUDGMENT DATE : 21 November 2002

PARTIES : Commonwealth Bank of Australia - Plaintiff/Cross-defendant John Spira - Defendant/Cross-claimant JUDGMENT OF : Gzell J

COUNSEL : Mr M Walton SC/ Mr R S Hollo for the Plaintiff Mr R B S MacFarlan QC/ Mr P Durack for the Defendant SOLICITORS : L E Taylor Solicitor for the plaintiff Middletons Lawyer for the defendant CATCHWORDS : TRADE PRACTICES - Consumer Protection - No Misleading or Deceptive Conduct - Meaning of Unconscionable Conduct - Whether it extends beyond Special Disability - Special Disability limited to Incapacity to form Judgment on Best Interests - CONTRACT - Construction and Interpretation of Contracts - Implied term of Good Faith in Commercial Contracts - Implication by Law - Whether Term of Good Faith can be excluded - Pre-contractual documents and Masters v Cameron LEGISLATION CITED : Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) Jones v Dunkel (1958-1959) 101 CLR 298 Pappas v Saulac Pty Ltd (1983) 50 ALR 231 at 234-235 General Newspapers Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation (1993) 45 FCR 164 at 178 Burger King Corporation v Hungry Jacks Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 187 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 142 CLR 337 at 345-346 Castlemaine Tooheys Ltd v Carlton & United Breweries Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 468 at 486-487 Renard Constructions (ME) Pty Ltd v Minister for Public Works (1992) 26 NSWLR 234 at 256 Liverpool City council v Irwin [1977] AC 239 at 254 Miller v Hancock [1893] 2 QB 177 at 181 Mainland Holdings v Szady [2002] NSWSC 699 at par 64 Hughes Aircraft Systems International v Airservices Australia (1997) 76 FCR 151 at 192-193 Hughes Bros Pty Ltd v Trustees of Roman Catholic Church (Archdiocese of Sydney) (1993) 31 NSWLR 91 Alcatel Australia Ltd v Scarcella (1998) 44 NSWLR 349 Saxby Bridge Mortages Pty Ltd v Saxby Bridge Pty Ltd [2000] NSWSC 433 Asia Television Ltd v Yau's Entertainment Pty Ltd (2000) 48 IPR 283 Szymonowski & Co v Beck & Co [1923] 1 KB 457 at 466 Duncombe v Porter (1953) 90 CLR 295 at 306, 311 GH Myers & Co v Brent Cross Services Co [1934] 1 KB 46 at 55 CASES CITED : Young & Marten Ltd v McManus Childs Ltd [1969] 1 AC 454 Gloucestershire County Council v Richardson [1969] 1 AC 480 at 494-495, 506, 510 Helicopter Sales (Australia) Pty Ltd v Rotor-Work Pty Ltd (1994) 132 CLR 1 at 17 Paragon Finance plc v Nash [2002] 1 WLR 685 at 699-700 Overlook v Foxtel [2002] NSWSC 965 at par 210 Far Horizons Pty Ltd v McDonalds Australia Ltd [2000] VSC 310 at par 120 Garry Rogers Motors Aust Pty Ltd v Subaru (Aust) Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 903 at par 34 Byrne v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410 at 450 DTR Nominees Pty Ltd v Mona Homes Pty Ltd (1978) 138 CLR 423 at 434 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Renstel Nominees Pty Ltd [2001] VSC 167 at par 96 Howtrac Rentals Pty Ltd v Thiess Contractors (NZ) Ltd VSC 145 Masters v Cameron (1954) 91 CLR 353 at 360 Louth v Diprose (1992) 175 CLR 621 at 637 Blomley v Ryan (1956) 99 CLR 362 at 405 Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd v Amadio (1982-1983) 151 CLR 447 at 461,474 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v CG Berbatis Holdings Pty Ltd (No 2) (1999) 96 FCR 491 at 502-504 CG Berbatis Holdings Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2001) 185 ALR 555 at 569 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Samton Holdings Pty Ltd (2000) 189 ALR 76 at 91-93 GPG (Australia Trading) Pty Ltd v GIO Australia Holdings Ltd (2001) 191 ALR 342 at 389 DECISION : Judgment for the plaintiff. Cross-claims dismissed.