Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Macdonald (No 5) [2008] NSWSC 1169

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Macdonald (No 5) [2008] NSWSC 1169

HEARING DATE(S) : 29-30 September 2008, 1-3 October 2008, 7-8 October 2008, 13-15 October 2008, 20-24 October 2008, 3 -4 November 2008, JUDGMENT OF : Gzell J

EX TEMPORE JUDGMENT DATE : 4 November 2008

DECISION : Tender rejected.

CATCHWORDS : EVIDENCE - Admissibility and Relevancy - Tender of documents obtained by search of laptop other than in accordance with an agreed protocol - Whether obtained improperly or in consequence of an impropriety within s 138(1) of the Evidence Act 1995 - Whether the matters listed in s 138(3) led to the conclusion that the desirability of admitting the evidence did not outweigh the undesirability of admitting evidence so obtained.

LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995

Ridgeway v The Queen [1994] HCA 33, (1994-1995) 184 CLR 19 CASES CITED : Robinson v Woolworths Ltd [2005] NSWCA 426, (2005) 64 NSWLR 612 Taylor v Burgess [2002] NSWSC 676

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Plaintiff) Peter Donald Macdonald (First Defendant) Peter James Shafron (Second Defendant) Phillip Graham Morley (Third Defendant) Michael Robert Brown (Fourth Defendant) Michael John Gillfillan (Fifth Defendant) PARTIES : Meredith Hellicar (Sixth Defendant) Martin Koffel (Seventh Defendant) Geoffrey Frederick O'Brien (Eighth Defendant) Gregory James Terry (Ninth Defendant) Peter John Willcox (Tenth Defendant) ABN 60 Pty Ltd (Eleventh Defendant) James Hardie Industries NV (Twelfth Defendant)