Nominal Defendant v Clancy [2007] NSWCA 349

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Nominal Defendant v Clancy [2007] NSWCA 349 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 23 February 2007

JUDGMENT DATE: 7 December 2007

JUDGMENT OF: Santow JA at 1; McColl JA at 68; Campbell JA at 282

DECISION: 1. Appeal dismissed. 2. Appellant to pay respondent's costs.

CATCHWORDS: APPEAL — facts — interference with findings of fact — whether critical findings of fact inconsistent with incontrovertible fact or uncontested testimony — whether the decision at trial glaringly improbable or contrary to compelling inferences — whether trial judge adequately considered contemporaneous documents — - NEGLIGENCE — damage — causation — shifting evidentiary burden — whether appellant demonstrated its case to a prima facie level so as to require respondent to explain or contradict that case — - EVIDENCE — witnesses — failure to call witness — whether witness one expected to be called by one party rather than the other — adverse inferences — - EVIDENCE — expert evidence — function of appellate court — dispute between experts — whether trial judge entitled to reject expert witness whose qualifications not put in issue — where expert issue in dispute involved differences between the expert witnesses capable of being resolved rationally by examination and analysis — - JUDGMENT — adequacy of reasons — whether trial judge adequately considered appellant's case —whether trial judge exposed his reasons for resolving a point critical to the contest between the parties — whether trial judge did justice to issues posed by appellant's case.

LEGISLATION CITED: Workers Compensation Act 1987

Abalos v Australian Postal Commission [1990] HCA 47; (1990) 171 CLR 167 Ahmedi v Ahmedi (1991) 23 NSWLR 288 De Groot v The Nominal Defendant [2005] NSWCA 61 Devries v Australian National Railways Commission [1992] HCA 41; (1993) 177 CLR 472 Flannery v Halifax Estate Agencies Ltd t/as Colleys Professional Services [2000] 1 All ER 373 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; (2004) 214 CLR 118 Ibrahim v Pham [2007] NSWCA 215 Jones v Dunkel [1959] HCA 8; (1959) 101 CLR 298 Moylan v Nutrasweet Co [2000] NSWCA 337 North Sydney Council v Ligon (1995) 87 LGERA 435 Payne v Parker [1976] 1 NSWLR 191 CASES CITED: Purkess v Crittenden [1965] HCA 34; (1965) 114 CLR 164 Schellenberg v Tunnel Holdings Pty Ltd [2000] HCA 18; (2000) 200 CLR 121 Shellharbour City Council v Rhiannon Rigby [2006] NSWCA 308 Shorey v PT Limited [2003] HCA 27; (2003) 77 ALJR 1104 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 State of New South Wales v Burton [2006] NSWCA 12 State Rail Authority of New South Wales v Earthline Constructions Pty Ltd (in liq) [1999] HCA 3; (1999) 73 ALJR 306 Suvaal v Cessnock City Council [2003] HCA 41; (2003) 77 ALJR 1449 Watts v Rake [1960] HCA 58; (1960) 108 CLR 158 Wiki v Atlantis Relocations (NSW) Pty Limited [2004] NSWCA 174; (2004) 60 NSWLR 127 Wilsher v Essex Area Health Authority [1988] AC 1074 Yates Property Corporation Pty Ltd (in liq) v Darling Harbour Authority (1991) 24 NSWLR 156