State of New South Wales v Donnelley [2004] NSWCA 133

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : State of New South Wales v Donnelley [2004] NSWCA 133 HEARING DATE(S) : 8 March 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 6 May 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Giles JA at 5 DECISION : (1) Grant leave to appeal and direct that the notice of appeal be filed within fouteen days; (2) Appeal allowed; (3) Set aside orders 1 and 2 made in the District Court on 27 February 2002, and in lieu threof order that the notice of motion filed on 6 December 2001 be dismissed with costs; (4) Opponent/respondent pay the costs of the claimant/appeallant of the appeal and have a certificate under the Suitors Fund Act.

CATCHWORDS : Limitation period - s 151D of Workers Compensation Act - whether error in judge's discretion to extend - no error as to statement of discretion or explanation for delay - error in finding no presumptive prejudice - records not necessarily a panacea - widely based claim involving police department's acts and omissions in many respects over long period - prejudice remained of faded memories and evidence lost because forgotten - such that fair trial unlikely - extension should be refused. D ASB-Tech Services Pty Ltd (in liquidation) v Doeland [2003] NSWCA 167; Attorney General for the Northern Territory v Maurice (1986) 161 CLR 475; Burnell v British Transport Commission [1956] 1 QB 187; CASES CITED : Holt v Wynter (2000) 49 NSWLR 128; Itek Graphix Pty Ltd v Elliott (2002) 54 NSWLR 207; McLean v Sydney Water Corportion [2001] NSWCA 122; Tomason v The Council of the Municipality of Campbelltown (1939) 39 SR (NSW) 347. PARTIES : State of New South Wales - Appellant Jason Donnelley - Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40221/03 COUNSEL : P Menzies QC & D Mallon - Appellant K Andrews - Respondent SOLICITORS : I V Knight, Crown Solicitors Office - Appellant W H Parsons & Associates - Respondent