Fay v Moramba Services Pty Ltd (No 2) [2008] NSWSC 571

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Fay v Moramba Services Pty Ltd (No 2) [2008] NSWSC 571

HEARING DATE(S) : 21 May 2008 JURISDICTION : Equity Division Expedition List

JUDGMENT OF : Brereton J

EX TEMPORE JUDGMENT DATE : 21 May 2008

DECISION : Application to set aside notice to produce refused; access granted to advice; access refused to associated documents until further order.

CATCHWORDS : PROCEDURE – notice to produce – where notice requires production of legal advice from Counsel and related documents – application to set aside notice on ground of client legal privilege – where open letter refers to effect of counsel's advice – whether privilege lost due to knowing and voluntary disclosure – whether documents related to the advice are "reasonably necessary to enable a proper understanding" of the advice – where privileged document may be shown to be necessary to understanding – whether notice requiring production of privileged documents should be set aside, or production required but access refused.

LEGISLATION CITED : (NSW) Evidence Act 1995, ss 118, 119, 122, 126

CATEGORY : Procedural and other rulings

CASES CITED : ML Ubase Holdings Co Ltd v Trigem Computers Inc [2007] NSWSC 859 Towney v Minister for Land and Water Conservation (NSW) and Others (1997) 76 FCR 401

3365/07 Garrick E Fay (first plaintiff/first cross defendant) Dallas Fay (second plaintiff) Lisa Fay (second cross defendant) Moramba Services Pty Ltd (defendant/cross claimant) 5032/06 PARTIES : Garrick E Fay (first plaintiff/first cross defendant) Dallas Fay (second plaintiff/second cross defendant) Justinthyme Pty Ltd (third plaintiff/third cross defendant) Henry Kai Tong Au (first defendant/first cross claimant) Hugh Edward Halliday (second defendant/second cross claimant) Allan Ni Kwan Kwok (third defendant/third cross claimant) Stephen Thomas Pollitt (fourth defendant/ fourth cross claimant)