WILKINS v COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROKEN HILL [2005] NSWCA 468

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: WILKINS v COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROKEN HILL [2005] NSWCA 468

HEARING DATE(S): 26 September 2005

JUDGMENT DATE: 20 December 2005

JUDGMENT OF: Mason P at 1; Hodgson JA at 56; Ipp JA at 57

DECISION: Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS: NEGLIGENCE – public swimming pool – diving accident – quadriplegia – warning signs – appeal on causation finding – whether breach materially contributed to injury – where breach was a pattern of non-enforcement of prohibition on diving – where plaintiff did not appreciate risk – whether plaintiff would have heeded prohibition had there been stricter enforcement – use of evidence of disobedient conduct – attitude towards authority - permissibility of inferring causation from breach – persuasive onus – evidentiary onus – whether analogous to medical negligence failure to warn – expert evidence – opinions outside area of specialised knowledge. (ND)

Civil Liability Act 2002, s5D(3)(b) LEGISLATION CITED: Evidence Act s79

Bendix Mintex Pty Ltd v Barnes (1997) 42 NSWLR 307 Bennett v Minister for Community Welfare (1992) 176 CLR 408 Betts v Whittingslowe (1945) 71 CLR 637 Chappel v Hart (1998) 195 CLR 232 Commissioner of Main Roads v Jones [2005] HCA 27, 79 ALJR 1104 Forbes v Selleys Pty Ltd [2004] NSWCA 149 Graham v Remo Constructions Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 225 Inverell Municipal Council v Pennington (1993) Aust Torts Rep 81-233 CASES CITED: MacCabe v Westlock Roman Catholic Separate School District No 110 [2002] 1 WWR 610 McGee v National Coal Board [1972] 1 WLR 1 Prast v Town of Cottesloe (2000) 22 WAR 474 Rogers v Whittaker (1992) 175 CLR 479 Rosenberg v Percival (2001) 205 CLR 434 T C v State of New South Wales [2001] NSWCA 380 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council [2005] HCA 62 Wilkins v Council of the City of Broken Hill [2004] NSWSC 503