COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA v SMITH [2005] NSWCA 478

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA v SMITH [2005] NSWCA 478

HEARING DATE(S): 23 June 2005

JUDGMENT DATE: 23 December 2005

JUDGMENT OF: Handley JA at 1; Santow JA at 22; Basten JA at 163

DECISION: (1) Appeal dismissed; (2) Appellant to pay the costs of the respondent on appeal.

CATCHWORDS: LIMITATION OF ACTION – extension of time – mental injury LIMITATION ACT 1969 (NSW) - ss60G and 60I - awareness of mental injury

Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Interpretation Act of 1897 (NSW) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) Limitation Act 1980 (UK) LEGISLATION CITED: Limitation of Actions Act 1623 (Imp) Limitation of Actions 1974 (Qld) Motor Accidents Act 1988 (NSW) Supreme Court Rules (NSW) Supreme Court Rules 1965 (UK) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW)

Adams v Bracknell Forest Borough Council [2005] 1 AC 76 Australian Guarantee Corporation Ltd v Stander (1987) ASC 55-546 Blyth v Commonwealth [2005] NSWSC 721 Brisbane South Regional Health Authority v Taylor (1996) 186 CLR 541 Commonwealth v Dinnison (1995) 56 FCR 389 Commonwealth v Diston [2003] NSWCA 51 Commonwealth v McLean (1996) 41 NSWLR 389 Commonwealth v Nelson [2001] NSWCA 443 Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 CRA Ltd v Martignago (1996) 39 NSWLR 13 Cranbrook School v Stanley [2002] NSWCA 290 Do Carmo v Ford Excavations (1984) 154 CLR 234 FJ Walker Ltd v Webber (unrep, 16 November 1989) Gifford v Strang Patrick Stevedoring Pty Ltd (2003) 214 CLR 269 Gretton v Commonwealth [2005] NSWSC 437 Harris v Commercial Minerals Ltd (1995-96) 186 CLR 1 Hill v The Commonwealth [2005] NSWCA 94 Holt v Wynter (2000) 49 NSWLR 128 CASES CITED: House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Jaensch v Coffee (1984) 155 CLR 549 Jones v Royal Hospital for Women [1998] NSWCA 384 Lovell v Lovell (1950) 81 CLR 513 McLean v Commonwealth (Sperling J, 28 June 1996, unrep) McLean v Sydney Water Corp [2001] NSWCA 122 Micallef v ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd [2001] NSWCA 274 Mount Isa Mines Ltd v Pusey (1970) 125 CLR 383 Nowlan v Marson Transport Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 116 Parsons v Doukas (2001) 52 NSWLR 162 Pearce v Commonwealth [2005] NSWSC 359 R v Lawrence [2005] NSWCCA 91 Salido v Nominal Defendant (1993) 32 NSWLR 524 South Western Sydney Area Health Service v Gabriel [2001] NSWCA 477 Sydney City Council v Zegarac (1998) 43 NSWLR 195 Tame v New South Wales (2002) 211 CLR 317 Telstra Corporation v Rea [2002] NSWCA 49 Williams v Minister, Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 (1994) 35 NSWLR 497