SKULANDER v WILLOUGHBY CITY COUNCIL [2007] NSWCA 116

Reported Decision: 73 NSWLR 44

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: SKULANDER v WILLOUGHBY CITY COUNCIL [2007] NSWCA 116

HEARING DATE(S): 15 December 2006

JUDGMENT DATE: 18 May 2007

JUDGMENT OF: Mason P at 1; Beazley JA at 77; Basten JA at 81

DECISION: (By majority) Appeal upheld. Remit to District Court to assess damages. Damages reduced by 50% for contributory negligence.

CATCHWORDS: TORTS – Negligence – essentials of action for negligence – duty of care – occupier's liability – passenger at bus interchange collides with object protruding from wall - TORTS – Negligence – essentials of action for negligence – breach of duty of care – risk of collision – careless or inadvertent plaintiff – means and options of alleviating risk – placing obstacle around hazard – making object more visible – whether reasonable to do so - TORTS – negligence – contributory negligence – failure to keep a proper lookout – passenger at bus interchange collides with object protruding from wall - JUDGMENTS AND ORDERS – Judges' failure to agree – whether "equally divided in opinion" – obtaining order of the court – convention – withdrawal of judgment – highest common denominator – judgment by seniority – Supreme Court Act 1970, s 45(2)

Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) LEGISLATION CITED: Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) Supreme Court Act 1970 Supreme Court Act 1981 (UK)

Arbest Pty Ltd v State Bank of New South Wales Ltd [1996] ATPR 41,963 British Fame (Owners) v Macgregor (Owners) [1943] AC 197 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512 CES v Super Clinics (Australia) Pty Ltd (1995) 38 NSWLR 47 Cole v South Tweed Heads Rugby League Football Club Ltd (2004) 217 CLR 469 Evans v Minister for Immigration (2003) 135 FCR 306 Farley v Skinner (No 2) [2000] PNLR 441 Gosford City Council v Needs [2003] NSWCA 144 Government Insurance Office of New South Wales v Rozniak (1992) 27 NSWLR 665 Henwood v Municipal Tramways Trust (SA) (1938) 60 CLR 438 Hill v Chiaverini [2004] NSWCA 265 John Fairfax & Sons Ltd v Carson (1991) 24 NSWLR 259 Jones v Bartlett (2000) 205 CLR 166 Joslyn v Berryman (2003) 214 CLR 552; [2003] HCA 34 Leichhardt Municipal Council v Montgomery [2007] HCA 6 Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (1992) 175 CLR 1 McPherson's Ltd v Eaton (2005) 65 NSWLR 187 Metropolitan Water Sewerage & Drainage Board v Histon [1982] 2 NSWLR 720 Mulligan v Coffs Harbour City Council (2005) 223 CLR 486 CASES CITED: O'Brien v Tanning Research Laboratories Inc (1988) 14 NSWLR 60 Pateman v Higgin (1957) 97 CLR 521 Perpetual Trustee Co Ltd v Tindal (1940) 63 CLR 232 Phillis v Daly (1988) 15 NSWLR 65 Pippos v Craig [1993] 1 VR 603 Podrebersek v Australian Iron & Steel Pty Limited (1985) 59 ALJR 492 R v Ashwell (1885) 16 QBD 190 R v Lubke (1988) 15 NSWLR 318 R v Wilson (2005) 153 A Crim R 257 Riverina Transport Pty Ltd v Victoria (1937) 57 CLR 327 Swain v Waverley Municipal Council (2005) 220 CLR 517 Tasmania v Victoria (1935) 52 CLR 157 Theophanous v Herald & Weekly Times Ltd (1994) 182 CLR 104 Thompson v Woolworths (Queensland) Pty Ltd (2005) 221 CLR 234 Timberland Property Holdings Pty Ltd v Bundy [2005] NSWCA 419 Todorovic v Waller (1981) 150 CLR 402 Tsivinsky v Tsivinsky Court of Appeal, unreported, 5 December 1991 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422 Westpac Banking Corporation v Tomassian (1993) 32 NSWLR 207 Woolworths Ltd v Kelly (1991) 22 NSWLR 189