Union Club v Lord Andrew Charles Robert Battenberg [2006] NSWCA 72

Reported Decision : 66 NSWLR 1 4 ABC (NS) 170

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Union Club v Lord Andrew Charles Robert Battenberg [2006] NSWCA 72

HEARING DATE(S): 13 March 2006

JUDGMENT DATE: 7 June 2006

JUDGMENT OF: Giles JA at 1; Santow JA at 89; Bryson JA at 148

DECISION: (1) Grant leave to appeal; (2) Direct the filing of the notice of appeal within seven days; (3) Appeal allowed; (4) Set aside the declarations and orders made by Campbell J on 30 March 2005; (5) In lieu thereof, order that the summons be dismissed; (6) Order the respondent to pay the costs of the trial and the appeal, and that he have a certificate under the Suitors Fund Act if otherwise qualified.

CATCHWORDS: Company articles - membership ceased if member "becomes bankrupt" - member became bankrupt - bankruptcy then annulled on entry into arrangement with creditors - whether annulment meant had not ceased to be a member - consideration of effect of annulment in bankruptcy law - annulment retrospective - reversed fact of becoming bankrupt - but on construction of articles, membership ceased and was not restored upon annulment. D

Bankruptcy Act 1966; LEGISLATION CITED: Bankruptcy Amendment Act 1991; Income Tax Assessment Act 1936; Insolvency Act 1986 (UK).

Ex parte Ashworth, Re Hoare (1874) LR 18 Eq 705; Re Alam's Deed of Arrangement (1932) 4 ABC 98; Bailey v Johnson (1872) LR 7 Ex 263; Re Baysington; Gillon v NCSC (1987) 12 ACLR 412; Re Blakemore, Ex parte Blakemore (1892) 3 BC 5, Re The Bodega Company, Limited (1904) 1 Ch 276; Cameron v Cole (1944) 68 CLR 571; The Commisioner for Railways (NSW) v Cavanough (1935) 53 CLR 220; Coyle v Cassimatis (QCA, 1 November 1993, unreported); Director of Public Prosecutions v Ashley (1955) Crim LR 565; Dowling v Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd (1915) 20 CLR 509; Re Falvey (deceased) (1946) 13 ABC 291; Re Fitzgerald; Ex parte Fitzgerald (1988) 99 ALR 189; Re Gay (1943) 13 ABC 134; Re Gyll, Ex parte The Board of Trade (1888) 5 Morr 272; CASES CITED: Re Hawkesford (1937) 10 ABC 26; Re Hayes; Ex parte Hayes (1984) 59 ALR 219; Re Hester, ex parte Hester (1889) 22 QBD 632; Re Hudson; Ex parte ANZ Bank v Bird (1994) 50 FCR 281; Re Lawson (1939) 11 ABC 137; Marek v Tregenza (1963) 109 CLR 1; Re Oates; Ex parte Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1987) 17 FCR 402; Oates v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1990) 27 FCR 289; Ex parte Painter; Re Painter (1895) 1 QB 85; Quinn v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (1996) 443 FCA 1; Rainsford v The Trustee of the Salsbury Club (1914) SR 65; Smallcombe v Olivier (1844) 13 M & W 77; 153 ER 32; Re Taylor; Ex parte Taylor (1898) 8 BC (NSW) 50; Taylor v Taylor (1979) 143 CLR 1; Thiessbacher v MacGregor Garrick & Co (1993) 2 Qd R 223; University of Wollongong v Metwally (1984) 159 CLR 447; Worrell v Westpac Banking Corporation (1994) 51 FCR 304.