British American Tobacco Australia Services Limited v Sharon Y Eubanks for the United States of America; Nicholas Basil Cannar v Sharon Y Eubanks for the United States of America; British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited v Sharon Y Eubanks for the United States of America [2004] NSWCA 158

Reported Decision : 60 NSWLR 483

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : British American Tobacco Australia Services Limited v Sharon Y Eubanks for the United States of America; Nicholas Basil Cannar v Sharon Y Eubanks for the United States of America; British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited v Sharon Y Eubanks for the United States of America [2004] NSWCA 158 HEARING DATE(S) : 30/03/04, 31/03/04, 01/04/04 JUDGMENT DATE : 18 May 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Handley JA at 213; Bryson JA at 214 DECISION : Leave to appeal granted on Grounds 1-3 of Cannar application. Appeal dismissed. Leave to appeal otherwise refused.

CATCHWORDS : EVIDENCE - evidence on commission - requests by foreign courts - meaning of "evidence" - whether evidence sought for purposes of US proceedings - weight to be given to terms of letters of request - Evidence on Commission Act 1995 s 33 - discretion to give effect to letters of request - breadth of inquiry - possible exposure to civil or criminal proceedings - privilege of witnesses - where use-immunity granted in jurisdiction of requesting court - Evidence on Commission Act 1995 s 34 - - - EVIDENCE - legal professional privilege - where documents in public domain - whether implied consent to disclosure by third party - where explicit consent to procedure whereby documents could become publicly available - Evidence Act 1995 s 122(4) - PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - joinder of parties - where third party rights potentially affected by course of examination of witness - where third party able to protect itself by attending examination and seeking to be heard - no joinder required - Supreme Court Rules 1970 Pt 8 r 8(1) Evidence Act 1906 (WA) ss 115, 116, 117, 118, 118A Evidence Act 1929 (SA) s 59F Evidence Act 1939 (NT) Pt 6, Div 2 Evidence Act 1958 (Vic) Pt 1, Div 1C Evidence Act 1971 (ACT) Pt 12B Evidence Act 1977 (Qld) Pt 3, Div 3 Evidence Act 1995 ss 117, 118, 119, 122, 128, 134 LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence (Evidence on Commission) Amendment Act 1988 Evidence on Commission Act 1995 ss 6, 12, 32, 33, 34 Evidence on Commission Act 2001 (Tas) Evidence (Proceedings in Other Jurisdictions) Act 1975 (UK) Foreign Tribunals Evidence Act 1856 19 and 20 Vic c113 Insolvency Act 1986 (UK) ss 230, 236 Supreme Court Act 1970 s 101 Supreme Court Rules 1970 Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd v Philip Morris Inc (1981) 148 CLR 170 Applicant A v Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs (1997) 190 CLR 225 Application of Forsyth; Re Cordova v Philips Roxane Laboratories Inc [1984] 2 NSWLR 327 British American Tobacco Australia Services Limited v Cowell [2002] VSCA 197 Clyne v New South Wales Bar Association (1960) 104 CLR 186 Esso Australia Resources Limited v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia (1999) 201 CLR 49 First American Corporation v Sheikh Zayed Al-Nahyan [1999] 1 WLR 1154 Genira Trade & Finance Inc v CS First Boston and Standard Bank (London) Limited [2001] EWCA Civ 1733 Golden Eagle Refinery Co v Associated International Insurance Co (unreported, EWCA (Civ), Hirst and Buxton LJJ, Sir John Knox, 19 February 1998) Great China Metal Industries Co Limited v Malaysian International Shipping Corporation Berhad (1999) 196 CLR 161 Gredd v Arpad Busson [2003] EWHC 3001 Kang v Kwan [2001] NSWSC 697 Kang v Kwan [2001] NSWSC 698 Kennedy v Wallace [2004] FCA 332 CASES CITED : Marcel v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [1992] Ch 225 McCabe v British American Tobacco Australia (Services) Ltd [2002] VSC 73 Morris v Director of the Serious Fraud Office [1993] Ch 372 Morrison v Peacock (2000) 50 NSWLR 178 Morrison v Peacock (2002) 210 CLR 274 News Limited v Australian Rugby Football League (1996) 64 FCR 410 Radio Corporation of America v Rauland Corporation [1956] 1 QB 618 Re Murjani (a bankrupt) [1996] 1 All ER 65 Re Norway's Application (No 1) [1987] QB 433 Re Norway's Application (No 2) [1990] 1 AC 723 Rio Tinto Zinc Corporation v Westinghouse Electric Corporation [1978] AC 547 Sodden v Burns [1996] 3 All ER 967 State of Minnesota v Philip Morris Inc & Ors (Unreported, EWCA (Civ), Lord Woolf MR, Peter Gibson and Otton LJJ, 30 July 1997) Telstra Corporation Limited v Australis Media Holdings (No 2) (1997) 41 NSWLR 346 United States of America v Philip Morris Inc [2003] All ER (D) 191 Victoria v Sutton (1998) 195 CLR 291 British American Tobacco Australia Services Limited PARTIES : Nicholas Basil Cannar British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited Sharon Y Eubanks for the United States of America FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40799/03; CA 40969/03; CA 40953/03 J Middleton QC / M Leeming (BATAS) COUNSEL : S J Gageler SC / K M Richardson (Nicholas Cannar) T F Bathurst QC / G K J Rich / S M Nixon (BATCo) A Sullivan QC / A Bell / K Morgan (Sharon Eubanks for the USA) Corrs Chambers Westgarth (BATAS) SOLICITORS : Gilbert & Tobin (Nicholas Cannar) Baker & McKenzie (BATCo) Ebsworth & Ebsworth (Sharon Eubanks for the USA)