ACD Tridon v Tridon Australia [2004] NSWSC 77

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : ACD Tridon v Tridon Australia [2004] NSWSC 77 HEARING DATE(S) : 17 February 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 20 February 2004 JURISDICTION: Equity JUDGMENT OF : Austin J DECISION : Plaintiff enjoined, until further order, from seeking access to accountant's reports

CATCHWORDS : PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - undertaking to the Court not to seek to obtain information directly or indirectly from certain persons - proper construction of undertaking - whether plaintiff is entitled to discovery and inspection of accountant's reports - whether undertaking, properly construed, would be breached by seeking discovery - whether Court should prevent discovery and inspection in exercise of its discretion Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) ss 182, 184, 286, 290 LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) s 126B Supreme Court Rules Pt 23 r 1,3,4; Pt 72 r 9 ACD Tridon Inc v Tridon Australia Pty Ltd [2002] NSWSC 896 Arkin v Tridon Australia Pty Ltd (2002) 43 ACSR 610 Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Ltd v Best (1990) 170 CLR 516 Compagnie Financiers du Pacifique v Peruvian Guano Co (1882) 11 QBD 55 Container Terminals Australia Ltd v Xeras (1991) 23 NSWLR 214 GEC Marconi Systems Pty Ltd v BHP Information Technology Pty Ltd [2003] FCA 50 Hamilton v Naviede [1995] 2 AC 75 CASES CITED : Kimberley Mineral Holdings Pty Ltd (in liq) v McEwen (1980) 1 NSWLR 210 Kingston v Keprose Pty Ltd (1987) 11 NSWLR 404 National Australia Bank Ltd v Idoport Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 8 National Employers' Mutual General Association Ltd v Waind and Hill [1978] 1 NSWLR 372 R v Metal Trades Employers' Association; Ex parte Amalgamated Engineering Union, Australian Section (1951) 82 CLR 201 Schuler (L) AG v Wickman Machine Tool Sales Ltd [1974] AC 235 SVI Systems Pty Ltd v Best & Less Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 272 9 The Antaios [1985] AC 191 Tillmanns & Co v SS Knutsford Ltd [1908] 2 KB 385 ACD Tridon Inc (P,R,A) Tridon Australia Pty Ltd (D1,A1,R) PARTIES : Richard Wellesley Lennox (D2,A2) Sandra Lennox (D3,A3) Tridon New Zealand Ltd (D4,A4) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 5738/01 COUNSEL : T G R Parker (P,R,A) M S Jacobs QC with P Bambagiotti (Ds,As,R) SOLICITORS : Allens Arthur Robinson (P,R,A) Cutler Hughes & Harris (Ds,As,R)