Blacktown City Council v Hocking [2008] NSWCA 144

Appeal Outcome: Special leave application refused with costs by the High Court – 14 November 2008

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Blacktown City Council v Hocking [2008] NSWCA 144

HEARING DATE(S): 29 February 2008

JUDGMENT DATE: 25 June 2008

JUDGMENT OF: Spigelman CJ at 1; Beazley JA at 27; Giles JA at 28; Tobias JA at 77; Campbell JA at 240

1. Appeal allowed. DECISION: 2. Set aside the verdict and judgment for the plaintiff against the first defendant and any accompanying order for costs; in lieu thereof verdict and judgment for the first defendant against the plaintiff and order the plaintiff to pay the first defendant's costs. 3. Cross-appeal dismissed. 4. First respondent pay the appellant's costs of the appeal against the verdict and judgment in her favour; appellant pay the second respondent's costs of the appeal against the verdict in its favour; cross-appellant pay the costs of the cross-appeal .

CATCHWORDS: NEGLIGENCE – Civil Liability Act 2002 – Duty of care – Pedestrian – Footpath under management of Council – Communications pit lid defective – Breach of duty of care at construction and/or subsequently – Negligent inspection – Immunity of councils for non-feasance under s 45 Civil Liability Act – Whether Council had actual knowledge of risk of harm – Whether primary judge made finding of actual knowledge - EVIDENCE – Interpretation of photographs by trial judge – Whether photographs may be used as substantive evidence or merely demonstrative evidence

LEGISLATION CITED: Civil Liability Act 2002 sections 5B, 45

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Beaton v McDivitt (1985) 13 NSWLR 134; (1985) 3 BPR 9576 Birch v Australian Mutual Provident Society [1906] HCA 51; (1906) 4 CLR 324 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council [2001] HCA 29; (2001) 206 CLR 512; (2001) 180 ALR 145; (2001) 75 ALJR 992 C Van der Lely NV v Bamfords Ltd [1963] RPC 61 Georgopoulos v Telstra Corporation Ltd [2004] NSWCA 266 Ghantous v Hawkesbury City Council [2001] HCA 29; (2001) 206 CLR 512; (2001) 180 ALR 145; (2001) 75 ALJR 992 Leichhardt Municipal Council v Montgomery [2005] NSWCA 432 Leichhardt Municipal Council v Montgomery [2007] HCA 6; 230 CLR 22; (2007) 81 ALJR 686; (2007) 153 LGERA 55 Leichhardt Council v Serratore [2005] NSWCA 406 Lindistane Roxsana Aitken v Telstra Corporation District Court, unreported 10 March 1997 CASES CITED: North Sydney Council v Roman [2007] NSWCA 27; (2007) 69 NSWLR 240; (2007) 150 LGERA 419 People v Bowley 59 Cal 2d 855; 382 P 2d 591 (CA, 1963) Reg v Travers (1958) 58 SR (NSW) 85 Rickards v Australian Telecommunications Commission [1983] 3 NSWLR 155 Schmidt v Schmidt [1969] QWN 3 Short v Barrett [1990] NSWCA 164; unreported, 5 October 1990; BC9003193 State v Pulphus 465 A 2d 153 (RI, 1983) Stillwell Trucks v McKay; Stillwell Trucks v TNT [2002] NSWCA 292 United States Shipping Board v The Ship St Albans [1931] AC 632 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council [2005] HCA 62; (2005) 223 CLR 422 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt [1980] HCA 12; (1980) 146 CLR 40