Sampson v Prest & O'Connor Pty Ltd & Anor (No.3) [2004] NSWSC 568

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Sampson v Prest & O'Connor Pty Ltd & Anor (No.3) [2004] NSWSC 568 HEARING DATE(S) : 5-8, 14 April 2004 13 May 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 30 June 2004 JURISDICTION: Common Law JUDGMENT OF : Sperling J at 1 DECISION : (1) The first defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs of the proceedings on an indemnity basis from 8 August 2001 and on a party and party basis prior to that date; (2) The first defendant to pay the second defendant's costs of the proceedings on a party and party basis.

CATCHWORDS : Costs - whether a successful defendant precluded from recovering costs against an unsuccessful defendant by reason of failure to call evidence at an arbitration hearing - whether successful defendant entitled to costs against an unsuccessful defendant on an indemnity basis in reliance upon non-acceptance of an offer to contribute as a Calderbank letter - whether non-acceptance of offer to contribute unreasonable LEGISLATION CITED : Arbitration (Civil) Civil Actions Act 1983 Supreme Court Rules 1970: Pt22 r1A, r12; Pt52A r24 Fowdh v Fowdh & Anor (NSWCA, 4 November 1993, unreported) Griffiths v Kerkemeyer (1977) 139 CLR 161 Hillier v Sheather (1995) 36 NSWLR 414 CASES CITED : Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298 MacDougall v Curlevski (1996) 40 NSWLR 430 Quach v Mustafa (NSWCA, 15 June 1995, unreported) Sampson v Prest & O'Connor Pty Ltd & Anor [2004] NSWSC 318 Van Dore v Mendiz & Ors (No2) (NSWSC, 30 June 1997, unreported) Errol Clyde Sampson PARTIES : Prest & O'Connor Pty Ltd A J Lucas Networks Ltd & Downer Construction (Australia) Pty Ltd t/a Lucas Downer Joint Venture FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 20015/02 Mr R Foord for the Plaintiff COUNSEL : Mr P N Khandhar for the First Defendant Mr A P Coleman with Mr D M Jay for the Second Defendant Kingston Swift Solicitors for the Plaintiff SOLICITORS : Turkslegal Solicitors for the First Defendant Hunt & Hunt Lawyers for the Second Defendant