Gilsan v Optus [No 3] [2005] NSWSC 518

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Gilsan v Optus [No 3] [2005] NSWSC 518

HEARING DATE(S) : 19 May 2005

JUDGMENT DATE : 3 June 2005

JURISDICTION : Commercial List

JUDGMENT OF : McDougall J at 1

DECISION : See paras [82] and [83] of judgment

CATCHWORDS : CONTRACT - whether purported clawbacks under cl 1.6 amount to refusals to pay - meaning of "refuse" - whether such clawbacks could be deducted from amounts due for later months - whether refusals to pay could be accumulated and applied against any final tranche payment - whether refusals to pay on one traffic stream can be applied against amounts owing under another traffic stream - whether application of grammatical principles appropriate in construction of agreement - SET-OFF - equitable set-off - nature of test to be applied - where accepted that set-off applied - where claims subject of set-off are denominated in different currencies - whether set-off operates to extinguish claim at date of judgment or as equity arises

LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Rules

Australian Electoral Commission v Timothy Lalara (1994) 53 FCR 156 AWA v Exicom Australia Pty Ltd (1990) 19 NSWLR 705 Collins Hill Group Pty Ltd v Trollope Silverwood and Beck Pty Ltd [2002] VSCA 205 Covino v Bandag Manufacturing Pty Ltd [1983] 1 NSWLR 237 Goold v Commonwealth of Australia (1993) 114 ALR 135 Heydon v NRMA Ltd (No 2) (2001) 53 NSWLR 600 Lord v Direct Acceptance Corporation Ltd (Receiver and Manager Appointed) (1993) 32 NSWLR 362 CASES CITED : Miliangos v George Frank (Textiles) Ltd [1976] AC 443 Moneywood Pty Ltd v Salamon Nominees Pty Ltd (2001) 202 CLR 351 Murphy v Zamonex Pty Ltd (1993) 31 NSWLR 439 Rawson v Samuel (1841) Cr & Ph 161 Re Just Juice Corp Pty Ltd (1992) 109 ALR 334 Stehar Knitting Mills Pty Ltd v Southern Textile Converters Pty Ltd [1980] 2 NSWLR 514 Stewart v Latec Investments Ltd [1968] 1 NSWLR 432 The Despita R [1978] QB 396