ASIC v Rich [2004] NSWSC 467

Reported Decision : 49 ACSR 578 (2004) 22 ACLC 1125

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : ASIC v Rich [2004] NSWSC 467 HEARING DATE(S) : 24 May 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 31 May 2004 JURISDICTION: Equity JUDGMENT OF : Austin J DECISION : Orders to be made for the issue of a letter of request to the competent judicial authority in the United Kingdom for the examination of two witnesses in London, before the trial judge as examiner, and for the production by them of certain documents. Application dismissed so far as it relates to the taking of the evidence of those witnesses by audio visual facilities.

CATCHWORDS : PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - whether evidence of two witnesses should be taken by use of audio visual facilities - relevant considerations - whether, in the alternative, orders should be made for the issue of a letter of request to the competent judicial authority in the United Kingdom for the examination of the witnesses before the trial judge as examiner Evidence (Audio and Audio Visual Links) Act 1998 (NSW) ss 5B, 5C, 5D LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence on Commission Act 1995 (NSW) ss 6, 7, 8 Foreign Evidence Act 1994 (Cth) ss 7, 8, 9 Supreme Court Rules Part 27, 36 Asermeley-Rivera v Neffati (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Kirby J, unreported, 12 April 2001 - BC200101619) Australian Competition & Consumer Commission v World Netsafe Pty Ltd [2002] FCA 526 (Spender J) Australian Medical Imaging Pty Ltd v Marconi Medical Systems Australia Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 1 (Palmer J) B v Dentists Disciplinary Tribunal [1994] 1 NZLR 95 (Williams J) Bayer AG v Minister for Health of the Commonwealth (1988) 13 IPR 225 Cigna Insurance Australia Ltd v CSR Ltd (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Rolfe J, unreported, 29 November 1995) Commissioner of Taxation v Grbich (1993) 18 AAR 74 DPP v Alexander (1993) 33 NSWLR 482 Garcin v Amerindo Investment Advisors Ltd [1991] 1 WLR 1140 Hardie Rubber Co Pty Ltd v General Tyre & Rubber Co (1973) 129 CLR 521 Henderson v SBS Realisations Ltd (English Court of Appeal, 1992, unreported, extracted in B v Dentists Disciplinary Tribunal) ICI Australia Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (Federal Court of Australia, Ryan J, unreported, 29 May 1992) Idoport Pty Ltd v National Australia Bank Ltd [2001] NSWSC 838 (Einstein J) CASES CITED : K v S (2001) 27 Fam LR 498 (Full Family Court) Lamesa Holdings BV v Commissioner of Taxation (Federal Court of Australia, Sackville J, unreported, 30 June 1998) McDonald v Commissioner of Taxation (2000) ATC 4271 (Finn J) Meehan v GPR Management Services Pty Ltd (Federal Court of Australia, Einfeld J, unreported, 31 May 1994) Mewett v Commonwealth of Australia [1998] FCA 1360 (Katz J) Moyette Pty Ltd v Foundation Healthcare Ltd [2003] FCA 116 (Conti J) Novotny v Todd [2002] WASCA 79 (Full Court of the Supreme Court of Western Australia) Poschung v Jones (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Levine J, unreported, 25 October 1996, BC9606849) Reinsurance Australia Corporation Ltd v HIH Casualty & General Insurance Ltd (in liq) [2001] FCA 1549 (Jacobson J) R v Kyu Hyuk Kim (1998) 104 A Crim R 233 (Coldrey J) Sheldon & Hammond Pty Ltd v Metrokane Inc [2002] FCA 1561 (Conti J) Studniberg v JP Morgan Australia Ltd [1998] NSWIRComm 483 (Schmidt J) Sunstate Airlines (Qld) Pty Ltd v First Chicago Australia Securities Ltd (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Giles CJ Comm D, unreported, 11 March 1997) Tetra Pak Marketing Pty Ltd v Musashi Pty Ltd [2000] FCA 1261 (Katz J) Versace v Monte [2001] FCA 1454 (Tamberlin J) Australian Securities and Investments Commission (P/A) PARTIES : John David Rich (D1/R1) John Huyshe Greaves (D3/R3) Mark Allen Silberman (D4/R4) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 5934/01 R B S Macfarlan QC with A J Abadee (A) COUNSEL : D L Williams SC (R1/R4) M J Steele (R3) Jan Redfern, Solicitor for Australian Securities and Investments Commission (A) SOLICITORS : Joanne Kelly, Solicitor (R1/R4) Watson Mangioni (R3)