Kadian v Richards [2004] NSWSC 382

Reported Decision : 61 NSWLR 222

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Kadian v Richards [2004] NSWSC 382 HEARING DATE(S) : 11 March 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 22 June 2004

JURISDICTION: Common Law Professional Negligence List JUDGMENT OF : Campbell J DECISION : Declaration that right of confidentiality with treating doctors waived by commencing proceedings not made. Application for proceedings to be stayed until plaintiff provided authority for treating doctors to discuss management and treatment of plaintiff with legal representatives of defendants dismissed.

CATCHWORDS : CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION - doctor-patient confidentiality - sources of obligation of confidentiality - content of obligation - whether obligation waived by patient commencing litigation which puts his or her health in issue - whether proceedings should be stayed unless plaintiff consents to interview taking place between defendant's lawyers and plaintiff's present treating doctors - PROFESSIONS AND TRADES - medical and related professions - doctor-patient confidentiality - sources of obligation of confidentiality - content of obligation - whether obligation waived by patient commencing litigation which puts his or her health in issue - whether proceedings should be stayed unless plaintiff consents to interview taking place between defendant's lawyers and plaintiff's present treating doctors - PROCEDURE - miscellaneous procedural matters - stay of proceedings - when appropriate - PROCEDURE - Supreme Court procedure - claim for declaration that right had been waived - need for person affected by that right to be party to the litigation - EVIDENCE - proof of a negative proposition - onus of proof Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Health Insurance Act 1980 (Ont) Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 LEGISLATION CITED : Medical Practice Act 1992 Medical Practice Regulation 1998 Medical Practice Regulation 2003 Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) A and Others v Hayden and Others (1984) 156 CLR 532 A and Others v Hayden (1984) 156 CLR 532 Abrath v The North Eastern Railway Company (1883) 11 QBD 440 Gustav Adolph Abrath v The North Eastern Railway Company (1886) 11 App Cas 247 AG Australia Holdings Ltd v Burton and Another [2002] NSWSC 170; (2002) 58 NSWLR 464; (2002) 58 IPR 268 Alliott v Smith [1895] 2 Ch 111 Ansley v Ansley (1973) 12 RFL 93; [1973] 5 WWR 181 Apollo Shower Screens Pty Ltd and Another v Building and Construction Industry Long Service Payments Corporation (1985) 1 NSWLR 561 The Attorney-General for the Northern Territory of Australia v Kearney (1985) 158 CLR Attorney-General v Mulholland; Attorney-General v Foster [1962] 2 QB 477 Attorney-General for the Northern Territory v Maurice (1986) 161 CLR 475 Australasian Oil Exploration Limited v Lachberg (1958) 101 CLR 119 Baker v Campbell (1983) 153 CLR 52 Banning v Wright [1972] 1 WLR 972 Bolckow, Vaughan, & Co v Fisher and Others (1882) 10 QBD 161 Borque v LeBlanc (2002) 225 DLR (4th) 720 Breen v Williams (1996) 186 CLR 71 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 The Commonwealth of Australia v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Cook v Ip et al (1985) 22 DLR (4th) 1; 5 CPC (2d) 81; 52 OR (2d) 289 Corrs Pavey Whiting & Byrne v Collector of Customs (Vic) and Another (1987) 14 FCR 434 Crowley v Glissan (No.2) (1905) 2 CLR 744 Currie v Dempsey (1967) 69 SR (NSW) 116 D v National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children [1978] AC 171 The Dairy Farmers' Co-operative Milk Company Limited and Another v The Commonwealth and Others (1946) 73 CLR 381 Davlon Pty Ltd v Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council (1968) 89 WN (NSW) 26 Doe et al v Eli Lilley & Company Inc. et al (1983) 99 FRD 126 Dwyer v National Companies & Securities Commission (1988) 15 NSWLR 285 Evers v Firth (1986) 10 NSWLR 22 Frenette v Metropolitan Life Insurance Co (1992) 89 DLR (4th) 653; [1992] 1 SCR 647 Garner v Garner (1920) 36 TLR 196 Gartside v Outram (1856) 26 LJ Ch 113 Griffin v Sogelease Australia Ltd and Others (2003) 57 NSWLR 257 Grofam Pty Ltd and Others v KPMG Peat Marwick and Others (1993) 43 FCR 396 Halabi v Westpac Banking Corporation (1989) 17 NSWLR 26 Halliday and Johnstone v McCulloch and Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (1986) 14 CPC (2d) 70; 1 BCLR (2d) 194 Halls v Mitchell [1928] 2 DLR 97; [1928] SCR 125 Hay v University of Alberta Hospital (1990) 69 DLR (4th) 755 Hope v Brown (1990) 45 CPC (2d) 22; [1991] 2 WWR 638, 52 BCLR (2d) 234 Hunter v Mann [1974] 1 QB 767 CASES CITED : Hyhonie Holdings Pty Ltd v Leroy [2003] NSWSC 624 Kaiser Resources Ltd v Western Canada Beverage Corp (1992) 71 BCLR (2d) 236; 34 ACWS (3d) 1025 Kroeker v Macewan [1991] BCJ No 2084 Kunstler v Kunstler [1969] 1 WLR 1506 London Passenger Transport Board v Moscrop [1942] AC 332 Lyell v Kennedy (No.2) (1883) 9 App Cas 81 M (A) v Ryan (1997) 143 DLR (4th) 1 M (N) v Drew Estate (2003) 230 DLR (4th) 697 Mann v Carnell (1999) 201 CLR 1 McGrory v Electricity Supply Board (Supreme Court of Ireland, 24 July 2003, unreported) McGuire v Ferguson and Anor (Supreme Court of New South Wales, 11 December 2001, Solomon AJ unreported) Medaris v Lars Halvorsen & Sons Pty Ltd (1943) 44 SR (NSW) 71 Re Moage Ltd (in liq); Sheahan v Pitterino and Others (1998) 26 ACSR 726 Morin v Tessier 5 WDCA (2d) 123; [1994] OJ No. 361 News Ltd and Others v Australian Rugby Football League Ltd (1996) 21 ACSR 635 Nicholson v Halton General Hospital NHS Trust [1999] EWCA Civ 1664 (24 June 1999, unreported) Nur v John Wyeth & Brother Ltd [1996] 7 Med LR 300 Parramatta City Council v Bolton [1974] 2 NSWLR 241 Parry-Jones v Law Society and Others [1969] 1 Ch 1 R v Elizabeth Gibbons (1823) 1 Car & P 97; 171 ER 1117 Rogers V Hunter et al (1981) 34 BCLR 206 Sankey v Whitlam (1978) 142 CLR 1 Sharpe v Smail and Another (1975) 49 ALJR 130 Shaw v Skeet Aung Sooriakumaran [1996] 7 Med LR 371 Slavutych v Baker et al (1975) 55 DLR (3d) 224; [1976] 1 SCR 254; 38 CRNS 306 Smith Kline & French Laboratories Limited and Others v Inter-continental Pharmaceuticals (Australia) Pty Limited and Another (1969) 123 CLR 514 St Louis v Feleki (1990) 75 DLR (4th) 758 St Louis v Feleki (1993) 107 DLR (4th) 767 Stoodley v Ferguson (2001) 93 Alta LR (3d) 78 Sugarman v Radomsky (1997) 214 AR 118; 26 CPC (4th) 379; [1997] AJ Number 596 Sullman v Sullman [2002] NSWSC 169; (2002) DFC 95-248 Swirski v Hachey (1995) 132 DLR (4th) 122 Tringali v Stewardson Stubbs & Collett Ltd (1966) 66 SR (NSW) 335 V (KL) v R (DG) (1993) 81 BCLR (2d) 191; 40 ACWS (3d) 1050 W v Edgell and Others [1990] Ch 359; p1990] 1 All ER 835 Walton v Gardiner (1993) 177 CLR 378 Watson v M'Ewan; Watson v Jones [1905] AC 480 Wells v Paramsothy (1996) 98 OAC 233; 32 OR (3d) 452 Welsbach Incandescent Gas Lighting Company v New Sunlight Incandescent Company [1900] 2 Ch 1 West v Mead [2003] NSWSC 161 Wheeler v Le Marchant (1881) 17 ChD 675 Williams and Others v Spautz (1992) 174 CLR 509 Ankur Kadian (by his tutor Janak Kadian) - First Plaintiff Janak Kadian - Second Plaintiff PARTIES : Gurmeet Kadian - Third Plaintiff Bruce Richards - First Defendant Western Sydney Area Health Service - Second Defendant FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20219/01 I Butcher - Plaintiffs COUNSEL : S Woods - First Defendant Ms Organ, Solicitor - Second Defendant McLaughlin & Riordan - Plaintiffs SOLICITORS : Blake, Dawson Waldron - First Defendant GIO Australia Ltd - Second Defendant