Sutherland Shire Council v Dietz [2004] NSWCA 53

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Sutherland Shire Council v Dietz [2004] NSWCA 53 revised - 11/03/2004 HEARING DATE(S) : 18 December 2003 JUDGMENT DATE : 11 March 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Meagher JA at 1; Tobias JA at 2; McColl JA at 3 DECISION : 1. Appeal allowed. 2. Verdict and judgment in the Court below set aside. 3. Verdict and judgment to be entered for the appellant. 4. Respondent to pay the appellant's costs of the appeal, the trial and the arbitration in the Court below and, in respect of the appeal, to have a certificate under the Suitors' Fund Act if otherwise qualified.

CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE - EVIDENCE - personal injuries suffered by respondent when she fell into an open drain from which grate had been removed - whether trial judge's conclusion that Council breached its duty of care "glaringly improbable" - failure to consider evidence - where case determined upon a basis not put to appellant's witness - failure to give proper reasons for rejecting evidence - whether respondent nevertheless established sufficient prima facie case - D Abalos v Australian Postal Commission [1991] HCA 47 (1990) 171 CLR 167 Beale v Government Insurance Office of New South Wales (1997) 48 NSWLR 430 Broken Hill Proprietary Co Limited v Waugh (1988) 14 NSWLR 360 Brunskill v Sovereign Marine & General Insurance Co Ltd (1985) 59 ALJR 842; 62 ALR 53 Burwood Council v Byrnes [2002] NSWCA 343 Chambers v Jobling (1986) 7 NSWLR 1 Cofield v Waterloo Case Co. Limited (1924) 34 CLR 363 Davis v Council of the City of Wagga [2004] NSWCA 34 De Gioia v Darling Island Stevedoring & Lighterage Co Limited (1941) 42 SR (NSW) 1 Devries v Australian National Railways Commission [1992] HCA 41; (1993) 177 CLR 472 Fabre v Arenales (1992) 27 NSWLR 437 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22 (2003); 197 ALR 201; (2003) 77 ALJR 989 Gurnett v Macquarie Stevedoring Co. Pty Limited (1955) 55 SR (NSW) 243 CASES CITED : Hampton Court Limited v Crooks (1957) 97 CLR 367 Hobbs v C T Tinling & Co Limited [1929] 2 KB 1 Holman v Holman (1964) 81 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 374 Jones v Bradley [2003] NSWCA 81 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 Jones v Sutherland Shire Council [1979] 2 NSWLR 206 Mifsud v Campbell (1991) 21 NSWLR 725 R v Ryan (NSWCCA, unreported, 15 April 1994, BC9402482) Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Limited (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 State Rail Authority of New South Wales v Earthline Constructions Pty Ltd (in liq) [1999] HCA 3, (1999) 73 ALJR 306 Steinberg v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1975) 134 CLR 640 Warren v Coombes (1979) 142 CLR 531 Wright v Australian Broadcasting Commission [1977] 1 NSWLR 697 Zaronias v Papaiani [2002] NSWCA 207 PARTIES : Sutherland Shire Council (Appellant) Sandra Dietz (Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40955/02 COUNSEL : Mr J E Maconachie QC/Ms V Heath (Appellant) Mr B M J Toomey QC/Mr I D Cullen (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Ebsworth & Ebsworth (Appellant) Paul A Curtis & Co (Respondent)