AG Australia Holdings Limited v Burton & Anor [2002] NSWSC 170

Reported Decision : (2004) 58 IPR 268 58 NSWLR 464

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : AG Australia Holdings Limited v Burton & Anor [2002] NSWSC 170 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Equity FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 1640/02 HEARING DATE(S) : 7 March 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 3 May 2002

AG Australia Holdings Limited (Plaintiff) PARTIES : Nigel Victor Burton (1st Defendant) John Roderick Edward Price & Ors t/as Maurice Blackburn Cashman (2nd Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Campbell J

B Walker SC; IM Jackson; M Tyson (Plaintiff) COUNSEL : I E Davidson (1st Defendant) J Burnside QC; A Leopold (2nd Defendant) Ebsworth & Ebsworth (Plaintiff) SOLICITORS : Geoffrey Edwards & Co (1st Defendant) Maurice Blackburn Cashman (2nd Defendant) CATCHWORDS : CONTRACTS - GENERAL CONTRACTUAL PRINCIPLES - illegal and void contracts - contract affecting the administration of justice - whether former employee's express obligation of confidentiality void to the extent it prohibits making confidential information available, out of court, for the purpose of use in litigation - CONTRACTS - GENERAL CONTRACTUAL PRINCIPLES - llegal and void contracts - methodology for finding public policy - CONTRACTS - GENERAL CONTRACTUAL PRINCIPLES - illegal and void contracts - when express obligation of confidentiality is unenforceable by reason of nature of the confidential information - INJUNCTIONS - availability against recipient of confidential information when discloser of confidential information is in breach of contract Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 1989 (Cth) Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW) Crimes (Classification of Offences) Act 1981 (Vic) Crimes Act 1900 Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Insolvent Debtors Act LEGISLATION CITED : Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Evidence Act 1995(Cth) Protected Disclosures Act 1994 Public Service Act 1999 (Cth) Parliamentary Service Act 1999 (Cth) Whistleblowers Protection Act 1993 (South Australia) Whistleblowers Protection Act 1994 (QLD) Public Interests Disclosure Act 1994 (ACT) Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1956 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of NSW (1982) 149 CLR 337 A v Hayden (1984) 156 CLR 532 Egerton v Brownlow (1853) 4 HLC 1 10 ER 359 R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681 R v Edelsten (1990) 21 NSWLR 542 R v Murphy (1985) 4 NSWLR 42 R v Freeman (1985) 3 NSWLR 303 Hatty v Pilkinton (1992) 35 FCR 433 Meissner v R (1995) 184 CLR 132 R v Rowell [1978] 1 WLR 132 Collins v Blantern (1767) 2 Wils. KB 347 R v Vreones [1891] 1 QB 360 R v Kellett [1976] 1 QB 372 Lound v Grimwade (1888) 39 Ch D 605 Hall v Dyson (1852) 17 A & E 785 Hills v Mitson (1853) 8 Ex 751 Elliott v Richardson (1870) LR 5 CP 744 Kien Nam Quach v Huntof Pty Ltd [2000] NSWSC 932 Giles v Thompson [1993] 3 All ER 321 NAB Ltd v Market Holdings Pty Ltd (in Liq) [2001] NSWSC 253 Hogarth v Gye [2002] NSWSC 32 Cadwallader v Bajco [2001] NSWSC 1193 Grove v Flavel (1986) 4 ACLC 654 Rosetex Co Pty Ltd v Licata (1994) 12 AC LC 269 R v Byrnes (1995) 183 CLR 501 D v National Society for the Prevention to Children [1978] AC 171 Re Cordova v Philips Roxane Laboratories Inc [1984] 2 NSWLR 327 Mobil Oil Australia Ltd v Guina Developments Pty Ltd [1996] 2 VR 34 National Employers' Mutual General Association Ltd v Waind and Hill [1978] 1 NSWLR 372 Ainsworth v Hanrahan (1991) 25 NSWLR 155 Central Queensland Cement Pty Ltd v Hardy [1989] 2 Qd R 509 Rakusen v Ellis Munday & Clarke [1912] 1 Ch 831 D & J Constructions Pty Ltd v Head (1987) 9 NSWLR 118 In Re a Firm of Solicitors [1992] 1 QB 959 Prince Jefri Bolkiah v KPMG (1999) 2 WLR 215 Wan v McDonald (1992) 33 FCR 491 Carindale Country Club Estate v Astill (1993) 42 FCR 307 Malleson Stephen Jaques v KPMG Peat Marwick (1990) 4 WAR 357 Lord Ashburton v Pape [1913] 2 Ch 469 Calcraft v Guest [1898] 1 QB 759 Goddard v Nationwide Building Society [1987] 1 QB 670 Guiness Peat Properties Ltd v Fitzroy Robinson Partnership [1987] 1 WLR 1027 Hooker Corporation Ltd v Darling Harbour Authority (1987) 9 NSWLR 538 Webster v James Chapman & Co [1989] 3 All ER 939 CASES CITED : Derby & Co Ltd v Weldon [1991] 1 WLR 73 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Kane (1997) 140 FLR 468 Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Rettke (1995) 31 IPR 457 Sullivan v Sclanders (2000) 77 SASR 419 Commonwealth of Australia v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1980) 147 CLR 39 Minister for Mineral Resources v Newcastle Newspapers Pty Ltd (1997) 40 IPR 403 Corrs Pavey Whiting & Byrne v Collector of Customs (VIC) (1987) 14 FCR 434 Gartside v Outram (1856) 26 LJ Ch (NS) 113 Smith Kline & French Laboratories (Aust) Ltd v Secretary Department of Community Services and Health (1990) 22 FCR 73 Bacich v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1992) 29 NSWLR 1 Castrol Australia Pty Ltd v Emtech Associates Pty Ltd (1980) 51 FLR 184 33 ALR 31 Weld-Blundell v Stephens [1920] AC 956 Bellof v Pressdram Ltd [1973] 1 All ER 241 Allied Mills Industries Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1981) 34 ALR 105 Butler v Board of Trade [1971] Ch 680 AG-NT v Kearney (1985) 158 CLR 500 Re Moage (1998) 26 ACSR 726 Grofam Pty Ltd v KPMG Peat Marwick (1993) 27 IPR 215 Initial Services Ltd v Putterill [1968] 1 QB 396 G v Day [1982] 1 NSWLR 24 Wheatley v Bell [1982] 2 NSWLR 544 Short v City Bank of Sydney (1912) 15 CLR 148 Fightvision Pty Ltd v Onisforou (1999) 27 NSWLR 473 Re Morris (deceased) (1943) 43 SR (NSW) 352 Kerridge v Simmonds (1906) 4 CLR 253 Baker v Campbell (1983) 153 CLR 52 R v Cox & Railton (1884) 14 QBD 153 English & American Insurance Co Ltd v Herbert Smith (1987) 14 FSR 232 Grocott v Aysom [1975] 2 NZLR 586 Tucker v News Media Ownership Ltd [1986] 2 NZLR 716 Science Research Council v Nassé [1980] AC 1028 Harman v Secretary of State for the Home Department [1983] 1 AC 280 David Syme & Co Ltd v General Motors-Holdens Ltd [1984] 2 NSWLR 294 Woodward v Hutchins [1977] 1 QLR 760 Westpac Banking Corporation v John Fairfax Group Pty Ltd (1991) 19 IPR 513 Moorgate Tobacco Co Ltd v Philip Morris Ltd [No.2] (1984) 156 CLR 414 Tournier v National Provincial and Union Bank of England [1924] 1 KB 461 Smorgen v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (1976) 134 CLR 475 BP Refinery (Westernport) Pty Ltd v Shire of Hastings (1977) 180 CLR 266 Liverpool City Council v Irwin [1977] AC 239 Byrne v Australian Airlines Ltd (1995) 185 CLR 410 Marcus Clarke (Vic) Ltd v Brown (1928) 40 CLR 540 Brambles Holdings Ltd v Bathurst City Council [2001] NSWCA 61 Wookey v Wookey [1991] Fam 121 Vincent v Peacock [1973] 1 NSWLR 466 In Re S (a minor) [1991] Fam 121 DECISION : Injunctions made - see paragraph 235