Champerslife Pty Ltd v Manojlovski & Anor [2010] NSWCA 33

Reported Decision: 75 NSWLR 245[2010] ALMD 6449[2010] ALMD 6450

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Champerslife Pty Ltd v Manojlovski & Anor [2010] NSWCA 33

HEARING DATE(S): 16 February 2010

JUDGMENT DATE: 16 March 2010

JUDGMENT OF: Allsop P at 1; Giles JA at 8; Handley AJA at 92

DECISION: (1) Order nunc pro tunc that it be decided separately from any other question whether the first plaintiff is estopped from bringing the proceedings as alleged in para 4 of the amended defence filed on 18 April 2008; (2) So far as leave be necessary, grant leave to appeal; (3) Direct the filing of a notice of appeal within 7 days; (4) Answer the separate question no; (5) Set aside the orders made by Hughes DCJ on 30 June 2008 as regards the first plaintiff and in lieu thereof order that as regards the first plaintiff the notice of motion filed on 16 May 2008 be dismissed; (6) Respondents pay the appellant's costs of the application heard by Hughes DCJ and of the application for leave to appeal and the appeal.

CATCHWORDS: ESTOPPEL - Anshun estoppel - test is one of reasonableness - whether a matter should, not could, be raised - Anshun estoppel applicable where matter not raised as a defence raised as a cause of action - whether failure to apply for joinder and for matter to be transferred unreasonable - similarily of substance of claim per se not unreasonable. PRIVIES - whether control and ability of a company to litigate means it should have. PRIVIES OF INTEREST - relationship between estopped party and potential claimant - whether Anshun estoppel applicable to privies where director controls company - whether Champerslife claiming under or through another person - in any event that person not Anshun estopped.

Aldi Stores Ltd v WSP Group plc [2008] 1 WLR 748; Arrowcrest Group Pty Ltd v Gill (1993) 46 FCR 90; Belton v Carlow County Council (1997) 1 IR 172; Bryant v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1995) 57 FCR 287; Carl Zeiss Stiftung v Rayner & Keller Ltd (No 2) [1967] 1 AC 853; Clegg v Abel (1898) 14 WN (NSW) 131; Cordes v Dr Peter Ironside Pty Ltd [2009] QCA 302; Davis v Hedges (1871) LR 6 QB 687; Effem Foods Pty Ltd v Trawl Industries of Australia Pty Ltd (1993) 43 FCR 510; General Steels Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) (1964) 112 CLR 125; Gleeson v J Wippell & Co Ltd [1977] 1 WLR 510; Greenhalgh v Mallard [1947] 2 All ER 255; Henderson v Henderson (1843) 3 Hare 100; 67 ER 313; House of Spring Gardens Ltd v Waite [1991] 1 QB 241; CASES CITED: Johnson v Gore Wood & Co [2002] 2 AC 1; Landsal Pty Ltd v REI Building Society (1993) 41 FCR 421; Ling v Commonwealth of Australia (1996) 68 FCR 180; (1996) 139 ALR 159; Meriton Apartments Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales [2009] NSWCA 434; MCC Proceeds Inc v Lehman Bros International [1998] 4 All ER 675; Pigram v Ramsay (1966) 68 SR (NSW) 141; Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd [1981] HCA 45; 147 CLR 589; Ramsay v Pigram [1968] HCA 34; (1968) 118 CLR 271; Shiels v Blakeley [1986] 2 NZLR 262; Tanning Research Laboratories Inc v O'Brien (1990) 169 CLR 332; Trawl Industries of Austarlia Pty Ltd v Effem Foods Pty Ltd (1992) 36 FCR 406; Webster v Lampard (1993) 177 CLR 598; Wire Supplies Ltd v CIR [2006] 2 NZLR 384; [2007] 3 NZLR 458 CA; Yat Tung Investment Co Ltd v Dao Heng Bank Ltd [1975] AC 581; Zavodnyik v Alex Constructions Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 438; (2005) 67 NSWLR 457.