Brittain v The Commonwealth of Australia (No. 2) [2004] NSWCA 427

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Brittain v The Commonwealth of Australia (No. 2) [2004] NSWCA 427 HEARING DATE(S) : Written submissions JUDGMENT DATE : 22 November 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Tobias JA at 2; McColl JA at 3 DECISION : Order that the respondent pay the appellant's costs of the first trial on an indemnity basis.

CATCHWORDS : COSTS - indemnity costs - where new trial ordered - special circumstances justifying departure from general rule that costs of first trial should abide the event of the second trial - where respondent caused the miscarriage of the first trial. LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) s 76 Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW) Pt 51 r 23, Pt 52A r 11 Bray v Ford [1896] AC 44 Brittain v The Commonwealth of Australia [2004] NSWCA 83 Brownlie v Overend [1979] VR 283 Clutterbuck v Curry (1885) 11 VLR 810 Colzato v Commissioner for Railways [1967] 2 NSWR 656 Cutts v Buckley (1933) 49 CLR 189 Jones v Richards (1899) 15 TLR 398 CASES CITED : Malpas v Malpas (1885) 11 VLR 670 McLennan v Taylor [1966] 2 NSWR 685 Medlin v State Government Insurance Commission [1995] HCA 5; (1995) 182 CLR 1 Monaco v Arnedo Pty Ltd (1994) 13 WAR 522 Oshlack v Richmond River Council [1998] HCA 11; (1998) 193 CLR 72 Ryan v Caelli (1903) 9 ALR 109 Steffen v Ruban [1966] 2 NSWR 622 Stewart v McKinley (1885) 11 VLR 802 Tengdahl v Mason (1961) 62 SR (NSW) 658 PARTIES : Anthony Winston Brittain (Appellant) The Commonwealth of Australia (Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40273/03 COUNSEL : F Douglas QC/A Melick SC/I Butcher (Appellant) C Branson QC/I McLachlan (Respondent) SOLICITORS : James Taylor & Co (Appellant) Australian Government Solicitor (Respondent)