Wily re LED (South Coast) Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 946

76 NSWLR 428 74 ACSR 145 234 FLR 366 Reported Decision : 27 ACLC 1442 [2010] ALMD 1457

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Wily re LED (South Coast) Pty Ltd [2009] NSWSC 946

HEARING DATE(S) : 03/09/09

JUDGMENT DATE : 11 September 2009

JURISDICTION : Equity Division Corporations List

JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J

DECISION : Application dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : CORPORATIONS - winding up - examination of officers and others by liquidators - application by examinees for discharge of examination summonses - where proceedings commenced by company shortly before commencement of winding up - where liquidators seek to examine persons who are defendants and likely witnesses - purpose of liquidators is to come to concluded view about viability of litigation and to obtain information to assist decision making by potential litigation funder - whether permissible purposes - whether purpose of conducting dress rehearsal for cross-examination predominates - PROCEDURE - review of decision of registrar - nature of such review - where burden lies - whether circumstance that court is exercising federal jurisdiction changes nature of review

Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), Part 5.9, ss 596B, 596C, 596F(1)(a), 1337B Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), s 79 LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Act 1970, s 121(3) Supreme Court (Corporations) Rules 1999, rules 11.3, 11.5 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, rule 49.19

CATEGORY : Principal judgment

Ariff v Fong [2007] NSWCA 183; (2007) 63 ACSR 384 Commonwealth v Hospital Contribution Fund of Australia [1982] HCA 13; (1982) 150 CLR 49 Fetzer v Irving [2005] SASC 53; (2005) 52 ACSR 354 Gerah Imports Pty Ltd v The Duke Group Ltd (1993) 61 SASR 557 Gordon v Tolcher [2006] HCA 62; (2006) 231 CLR 334 Gould v Brown [1998] HCA 6; (1998) 193 CLR 346 Harris v Caladine [1991] HCA 9; (1991) 172 CLR 84 House v The King [1936] HCA 40; (1936) 55 CLR 499 CASES CITED : Meteyard v Love [2005] NSWCA 444; (2005) 65 NSWLR 36 Onefone Australia Pty Ltd v One.Tel Ltd [2007] NSWSC 112 Pioneer Park Pty Ltd v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [2007] NSWCA 344; (2007) 65 ACSR 383 Re Clutha Ltd; Cuming v Abbey [2003] NSWSC 235; (2003) 44 ACSR 134 Re Greenhill; Ex parte Pook (1988) 83 ALR 295 Re Laurie Cottier Productions Pty Ltd (1992) 9 ACSR 513 Re Maville Hose Ltd [1939] Ch 32 Re New Tel Ltd; Evans v Wainter Pty Ltd [2005] FCAFC 114; (2005) 145 FCR 176 Re Radio Publicity Ltd (1936) 53 WN (NSW) 220 Tomko v Palasty (No 2) [2007] NSWCA 369; (2007) 71 NSWLR 61