Bernasconi v Newcastle City Council [2005] NSWCA 422

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Bernasconi v Newcastle City Council [2005] NSWCA 422

HEARING DATE(S): 21 November 2005

JUDGMENT DATE: 5 December 2005

JUDGMENT OF: Giles JA at 1; McColl JA at 2; Brownie AJA at 36

DECISION: Leave to appeal refused with costs

CATCHWORDS: APPEAL – leave to appeal – NEGLIGENCE - Pedestrian injured when she tripped and fell on an uneven section of footpath in shopping mall – whether primary judge placed excessive emphasis on the issue of obviousness of risk in finding Council had not breached its duty of care – relevance of earlier falls in the mall – leave to appeal refused (ND)

LEGISLATION CITED: n/a

Brodie v Singleton Shire Council; Ghantous v Hawkesbury Shire Council [2001] HCA 29; (2001) 206 CLR 512 Consolidated Broken Hill Ltd v Edwards [2005] NSWCA 380 Mulligan v Coffs Harbour City Council [2005] HCA 63 Richmond Valley Council v Standing [2002] NSWCA 359; (2002) 127 LGERA 237 CASES CITED: Sutherland Shire Council v Pallister [2002] NSWCA 66 Suttor v Gundowda Pty Ltd [1950] HCA 35; (1950) 81 CLR 418 Turnbull v Alm [2004] NSWCA 173 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council [2005] HCA 62 Water Board v Moustakas [1988] HCA 12; (1988) 180 CLR 491

Jean Marie Bernasconi (Claimant) PARTIES: Newcastle City Council (Opponent)

FILE NUMBER(S): CA 40081/05

P C B Semmler QC/A C Canceri (Claimant) COUNSEL: M T McCulloch SC/G J Hickey (Opponent)

CMC Lawyers (Claimant) SOLICITORS: Phillips Fox Lawyers (Opponent)

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION: District Court