Harriton (by her tutor) v Stephens; Waller (by his tutor) v James & Anor; Waller (by his tutor) v Hoolahan [2004] NSWCA 93

Reported Decision : 59 NSWLR 694

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Harriton (by her tutor) v Stephens; Waller (by his tutor) v James & Anor; Waller (by his tutor) v Hoolahan [2004] NSWCA 93 HEARING DATE(S) : 04/09/03 JUDGMENT DATE : 29 April 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Mason P at 57; Ipp JA at 170 DECISION : (CA 40542/02; CA 40656/02; CA 40657/02): Each appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : NEGLIGENCE - WRONGFUL LIFE - Whether respondents owed duty of care to appellants to provide appellants' mothers with necessary information to enable an informed choice to be made in regard to termination of pregnancy - Whether harm suffered by appellants is recoverable in law - Compensatory principle - Damages as the gist of the cause of action - Non-existence as a comparator - Whether policy considerations justify refashioning of compensatory principle - Whether the omissions of the respondents caused the appellants' disabilities - CONTRACTS - Whether appellant is beneficiary of a contract between mother and respective respondent. D Civil Liability Act 2002, Pt 11, ss 70-71 LEGISLATION CITED : Limitation Act, 1969 Supreme Court Rules, Pt 31 r 2 Admiralty Commissioners v SS Susquehanna [1926] AC 655 Admiralty Commissioners v SS Valeria ("the Valeria") [1922] 2 AC 242 Airedale NHS Trust v Bland [1993] AC 789 Arndt v Smith [1994] 8 WWR 568 Attorney General (Qld) (Ex rel Kerr) v T (No 1) (1983) 8 Fam LR 871 Attorney General for the State of Queensland (Ex rel Kerr) v T (1983) 57 ALJR 285 Auckland Area Health Board v Attorney-General (NZ) [1993] 1 NZLR 235 Baker v Bolton (1808) 1 Camp 493, 170 ER 1033 Bannerman v Mills (1991) Aust Torts Rep 81-079 Banque Bruxelles Lambert SA v Eagle Star Insurance Co Ltd [1997] AC 191 Becker v Schwartz 413 NYS 2d 895 (1978) British Transport Commission v Gourley [1956] AC 185 Bunyan v Jordan (1937) 57 CLR 1 Burton v Islington Health Authority [1993] QB 204 Butler v Egg & Egg Pulp Marketing Board (1966) 114 CLR 185 Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Limited v The Dredge "Willemstad" (1976) 136 CLR 529 Capital and Counties Plc v Hampshire County Council [1997] QB 1004 Caparo Industries Plc v Dickman [1990] 2 AC 605 Cattanach v Melchior (2003) 199 ALR 131; 77 ALJR 1312 CES v Superclinics (Australia) Pty Limited (1995) 38 NSWLR 47 Cran v State of New South Wales [2004] NSWCA 92 Deyong v Shenburn [1946] KB 227 Dobson v Dobson [1999] 2 SCR 753 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 Edwards v Blomeley [2002] NSWSC 460 Elguzouli-Daf v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [1995] QB 335 Gala v Preston (1991) 172 CLR 243 Gardner; Re BVW [2003] VSC 173 Giannarelli v Wraith (1988) 165 CLR 543 Gillespie v Steer (1973) 6 SASR 200 Gleitman v Cosgrove 49 NJ 22 (1967) Goodburn v Thomas Cotton Ltd [1968] 1 QB 845 Grant v Australian Knitting Mills Ltd [1936] AC 85 Haines v Bendall (1991) 172 CLR 60 Harbeson v Parke-Davis Inc 656 P 2d 483 (1983) Harriton v Stephens [2002] NSWSC 461 Harvey v PD [2004] NSWCA 97 Hollebone v Greenwood (1968) 71 SR(NSW) 424 Husher v Husher (1999) 197 CLR 138 In re A (Children) (Conjoined Twins: Surgical Separation) [2001] Fam 147 In re B (Termination of contact: Paramount consideration) [1993] 3 WLR 63 In re B (A Minor) (Wardship: Medical Treatment) [1981] 1 WLR 1421 In re J (A Minor) (Child in Care: Medical Treatment) [1993] Fam 15 In re J (A Minor) (Wardship: Medical Treatment [1991] Fam 33 Jaensch v Coffey (1984) 155 CLR 549 John Pfeiffer Pty Ltd v Canny (1981) 148 CLR 218 John Pfeiffer Pty Limited v Rogerson (2000) 203 CLR 503 Johnson v Perez (1988) 166 CLR 351 Jones (Guardian ad litem of) v Rostvig (1999) 44 CCLT (2d) 313 (BCSC) J R Munday Ltd v London County Council [1916] 2 KB 331 Kars v Kars (1996) 187 CLR 354 Kassama v Magat 767 A 2d 348 (2001) Kenny & Good Pty Ltd v MGICA (1992) Ltd (1999) 199 CLR 413 Kosky v The Trustees of the Sisters of Charity [1982] VR 961 CASES CITED : Lacroix (Litigation Guardian of) v Dominique (2001) 202 DLR (4th) 121 Liesbosch Dredger (Owners Of) v Owners of SS Edison ("the Liesbosch Dredger") [1933] AC 449 Lininger v Eisenbaum 764 P 2d 1202 (1988) Livingstone v Rawyards Coal Company (1880) 5 App Cas 25 Lynch v Lynch (by her Tutor Lynch) (1991) 25 NSWLR 411 Mahony v J Kruschich (Demolitions) Pty Ltd (1985) 156 CLR 522 McFarlane v Tayside Health Board [2000] 2 AC 59 McKay v Essex Area Health Authority [1982] QB 1166 Mickle v Salvation Army Grace Hospital (1998) 166 DLR (4th) 743 Modbury Triangle Shopping Centre Pty Ltd v Anzil (2000) 205 CLR 254 Murphy v Overton Investments Pty Ltd (2004) 204 ALR 26 Nelson v Krusen 678 SW 2d 918 (1984) Newcastle City Council v Shortland Management Services (2003) 57 NSWLR 173 O L L Ltd v Secretary of State for Transport [1997] 3 All ER 897 Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd v Morts Dock and Engineering Co Ltd ("the Wagon Mound") [No 1] [1961] AC 388 Palmer Bruyn & Parker Pty Limited v Parsons (2001) 208 CLR 388 Paton v British Pregnancy Advisory Service Trustees [1979] QB 276 Pennant Hills Restaurants Pty Ltd v Barrell Insurances Pty Ltd (1981) 145 CLR 625 Perre v Apand Pty Limited (1999) 198 CLR 180 Pilmer v Duke Group Ltd (in liq) (2001) 207 CLR 165 Procanik v Cillo 478 A 2d 755 (1984) P's Curator Bonis v Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (1997) SLT 1180 Re B (Adult: Refusal of Medical Treatment) [2002] 2 All ER 449 Re G [1997] 2 NZLR 201 R v King [2003] NSWCCA 399 Rees v Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust [2004] 1 AC 309 Registrar of Titles v Spencer (1909) 9 CLR 641 Reynolds v Katoomba RSL All Services Club Limited [2001] 53 NSWLR 43 Sharman v Evans (1977) 138 CLR 563 Sullivan v Moody (2001) 207 CLR 562 Sutherland Shire Council v Heyman (1985) 157 CLR 424 Sutcliffe v Thackrah [1974] AC 727 Tambree v Travel Compensation Fund [2004] NSWCA 24 Tame v New South Wales; Annetts v Australian Stations Pty Limited (2002) 211 CLR 317 Teubner v Humble (1962) 108 CLR 491 Thatcher v Charles (1961) 104 CLR 57 The Nominal Defendant v Gardikiotis (1996) 186 CLR 49 Thorne v University of London [1966] 2 QB 237 Todorovic v Waller (1981) 150 CLR 402 Trident General Insurance Co Ltd v McNiece Bros Pty Ltd (1988) 165 CLR 107 Turpin v Sortini 643 P 2d 954 (1982) Veivers v Connelly (1994) Aust Torts Reports 81-309 Volpato v Zachory [1971] SASR 166 Walker v Mart 790 P 2d 735 (1990) Waller v James [2002] NSWSC 462 Watson, Laidlaw and Co Limited v Pott, Cassels and Williamson (1914) 31 RPC 104 Watt v Rama [1972] VR 353 Watts v Rake (1960) 108 CLR 158 Willcock v Andrews (1965) WAR 129 Williams v Minister, Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 [1999] NSWSC 843 Williams v State 223 NE 2d 343 (1966) Woolcock Street Investments Pty Ltd v CDG Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 16 X and Y (by her Tutor X) v Pal (1991) 23 NSWLR 26 Zeitzoff v Katz [1986] 40(2) PD 85 Zepada v Zepada 190 NE 2d 849 (1963) CA 40542/02 Alexia Harriton (by her tutor George Harriton) (Appellant) Paul Richard Stephens (Respondent) CA 40656/02 PARTIES : Keeden Waller (by his tutor Deborah Waller) (Appellant) Christopher James (First Respondent) Sydney IVF Pty Limited (Second Respondent) CA 40657/02 Keeden Waller (by his tutor Deborah Waller) (Appellant) Brian Hoolahan (First Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40542/02; 40656/02; 40657/02 (CA 40542/02) B Walker SC/G P Segal (Appellant) P Brereton SC (Respondent) (CA 40656/02) COUNSEL : P W Bates SC (Appellant) P Brereton SC (First & Second Respondents) (CA 40657/02) P W Bates SC (Appellant) P Brereton SC (Respondent) (CA 40542/02) Maurice Blackburn Cashman (Appellant) Blake Dawson Waldron (Respondent) (CA 40656/02) SOLICITORS : Autore & Associates (Appellant) Blake Dawson Waldron (First & Second Respondents) (CA 40657/02) Autore & Associates (Appellant) Blake Dawson Waldron (Respondent)