Perrett v Williams [2003] NSWSC 381

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Perrett v Williams [2003] NSWSC 381 HEARING DATE(S) : 25/2/03, 3/3/03-7/3/03, 10/3/03-12/3/03, 14/3/03, 19/3/03, JUDGMENT DATE : 9 May 2003

JUDGMENT OF : Wood CJatCL at 1 DECISION : Verdict and judgment for the defendants. Further arguments as to costs to be heard.

CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE - Statutory Body - Duty of Care - Tort of Intimidation - Misfeasance in a Public Office - Trespass to Goods and to Land - Whether Vicarious Liability of the Boards and of the State. Clean Waters Act 1970 Fisheries Management Act 1994 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 LEGISLATION CITED : Local Government Act 1993 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 Rural Lands Protection Act 1989 Stock Diseases Act 1923 Veterinary Surgeons Act 1986 Allen v Flood [1898] AC 1 Anns v Merton London Borough Council (1978) AC 728 Australian Meat Industry Employees Union v Mudginberri Station Pty Ltd (1987) 161 CLR 98 Bayliss v Cassidy SC QLD, 18 September 1998 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512 Burnie Port Authority v General Jones Pty Limited (1994) 179 CLR 520 Burns v MAN Automotive (Australia) Pty Ltd (1986) 161 CLR 653 Caparo Industries Pty Ltd v Dickman (1990) 2 AC 605 Commonwealth of Australia v Connell (1986) 5 NSWLR 218 Commonwealth v Introvigne (1982) 150 CLR 258 Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Corporation (1999) 200 CLR 1 Deatons Pty Limited v Flew (1949) 79 CLR 370 Dorset Yacht Co Ltd v Home Office [1970] AC 1004 Fox v Wood (1981) 148 CLR 438 Garrett v Attorney-General [1997] 2 NZLR 352 Graham Barclay Oysters Pty Ltd v Ryan (2002) 77 ALJR 182 Henville v Walker (2001) 206 CLR 459 Hill v Chief Constable West Yorkshire [1989] AC 53 Hill v Van Erp (1997) 188 CLR 159 Hillman v Black (1996) 67 SASR 490 James v The Commonwealth (1939) 62 CLR 339 Julius v Lord Bishop of Oxford (1880) 5 App Cas 214 Kondis v State Transport Authority (1984) 154 CLR 672 Little v The Commonwealth (1974) 75 CLR 94 CASES CITED : Lloyd v Grace Smith & Co [1912] AC 716 Morris v CW Martin & Sons Limited [1966] 1 QB 716 New South Wales v Paige [2002] NSWCCA 235 Northern Sandblasting Pty Ltd v Harris (1996) 188 CLR 313 Northern Territory v Mengel (1995) 185 CLR 307 Perre v Apand Pty Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 180 Plenty v Dillon (1991) 171 CLR 635 Pyrenees Shire Council v Day (1998) 192 CLR 330 Romeo v Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory (1998) 192 CLR 431 Rookes v Barnard [1964] AC 1129 Rowling v Takaro Properties Ltd [1988] AC 473 Sanders v Snell (1999) 196 CLR 329 Scott v Davis (2000) 204 CLR 333 Smith v Leurs (1945) 70 CLR 256 Sorrell v Smith [1925] AC 700 SPRL v Danubian Trading Co Ltd [1952] 2 QB 297 State of New South Wales v Lepore (2003) 77 ALJR 558 Sullivan v Moodie (2001) 75 ALJR 1570 Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1985) 157 CLR 424 Tame v NSW (2002) 76 ALJR 1348 Three Rivers District Council v Governor and Company of the Bank of England (No 3) (2000) 2 WLR 1220 Trobridge v Hardy (1955) 94 CLR 147 Yuen Kun Yeu v Attorney General of Hong Kong [1998] AC 175 X (Minors) v Bedfordshire County Council (1995) 2 AC 633 Leslie John Perrett (P1) Mary Genevieve Perrett (P2) Wayne Richard Williams (D1) PARTIES : Moree Rural Lands Protection Board (D2) John Hardie Smith (D3) John Forbes Montgomery (D4) Glen Innes Rural Lands Protection Board (D5) State of New South Wales (D6) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 21224/95 COUNSEL : Mr A McInnes QC (Plaintiffs) Mr P Taylor SC (Defendants) with Mr P Green SOLICITORS : James Solicitors (Plaintiffs) NSW Crown Solicitor (Defendants)