SOUTHERN AREA HEALTH SERVICE v BROWN [2003] NSWCA 369

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : SOUTHERN AREA HEALTH SERVICE v BROWN [2003] NSWCA 369 HEARING DATE(S) : 2 October 2003, 3 October 2003 JUDGMENT DATE : 18 December 2003

JUDGMENT OF : Sheller JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 131; McColl JA at 137 DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : DUTY OF CARE - content of duty - failure to warn - CAUSATION - whether advice would have been acted upon - FAILURE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT EVIDENCE - whether evidence that advice potentially harmful - Browne v Dunn - DAMAGES - whether excessive LEGISLATION CITED : Mental Health Act 1990 Allied Pastoral Holdings Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1983) 1 NSWLR 1 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Chapman v Hearse (1961) 106 CLR 112 Elliott v Bickerstaff (1999) 48 NSWLR 214 Environment Agency (formerly National Rivers Authority) v Empress Car Co (Abertillery) Ltd [1999] 2 AC 22 Henville v Walker (2001) 206 CLR 459 Lepore v The State of New South Wales (2001) 52 NSWLR 420 Malec v J C Hutton Pty Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 638 CASES CITED : Modbury Triangle Shopping Centre Pty Ltd v Anzil (2000) 205 CLR 254 New South Wales v Lepore (2003) 77 ALJR 558 Nominal Defendant v Gardikiotis (1996) 186 CLR 49 R v Birks (1990) 19 NSWLR 677 Reeves v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2000] 1 AC 360 Seymour v Australian Broadcasting Commission (1977) 19 NSWLR 219 Smith v Leurs (1945) 70 CLR 256 Stansbie v Troman [1948] 2 KB 48 Tame v New South Wales (2002) 76 ALJR 1348 Wilson v Peisley (1975) 50 ALJR 207 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40 PARTIES : Southern Area Health Service - Appellant Jodi Lorraine Brown - Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 41166/02 COUNSEL : J E Maconachie QC/Ms J M Sandford - Appellant Ms C E Adamson SC/S B Loughnan - Respondent SOLICITORS : Frances Allpress - Appellant Button Hawdon & McMahon - Respondent