Darcy (bht Diane Aldridge) v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 413

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Darcy (bht Diane Aldridge) v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 413 Hearing dates: 29 August 2011 Decision date: 21 December 2011 Before: Allsop P at 1 Beazley JA at 11 Whealy JA at 13 Decision: Appeal is dismissed with no order for costs. Catchwords: TORTS - wrongful imprisonment - detention of person with disabilities in residential centre - whether imprisonment - absence of formal consent by Public Guardian - whether Public Guardian acquiesced in detention - justification for detention - availability of aggravated or exemplary damages - principles Legislation Cited: Guardianship Act 1987 Lunacy Act 1898 (NSW) Mental Health (Criminal Procedure) Act 1990 (NSW) s32 Cases Cited: Adams v Kennedy [2000] NSWCA 152; 49 NSWLR 78 Collins v Wilcock [1984] 1 WLR 1172 Gavin McFadzean v Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) [2007] VSCA 289 Hague v Deputy Governor of Parkhurst Prison, Weldon v Home Office [1992] 1 AC 58 Knight v State of New South Wales [2004] NSWSC 791 Kuchenmeister v Home Office [1958] 1 QB 496; [1958] 1 All ER 485 Lamb v Cotogno (1987) 164 CLR 1 Meering v Grahame-White Aviation Co Ltd (1919) 122 LT 44 R v Bournewood Community and Mental Health NHS Trust, ex parte L (Secretary of State for Health and others intervening) [1998] UKHL 24; 1 AC 458; [1998] 3 All ER 289 State of South Australia v Lampard-Trevorrow [2010] SASC 56; (2010) 106 SASR 331 Symes v Mahon [1922] SASR 447 Troubridge v Hardy (1955) 94 CLR 147 B v Forsey (1988) SC HL 28 Uren v John Fairfax and Sons Pty Ltd (1966) HCA 49; 117 CLR 118 XL Petroleum NSW Pty Ltd v Caltex Oil (Aust) Pty Ltd [1985] HCA 12; 155 CLR 448 Texts Cited: Fleming's The Law of Torts, 10th ed (2011) edited by Carolyn Sappideen and Prue Vines (Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia Limited) Second Restatement of Torts (1965) United States Luntz, Assessment of Damages for Personal Injury and Death: General Principles (2006) Lexis Nexus Butterworths Mayne and McGregor on Damages, 12th ed (1961) Sweet & Maxwell Category: Principal judgment Parties: Joanne Darcy (by her tutor Diane Aldridge) (Appellant) State of New South Wales (Respondent) Representation: C Birch SC / K Edwards (Appellant) S Norton SC / L Boyd (Respondent) Public Interest Advocacy Centre (Appellant) Crown Solicitors Office (Respondent) File Number(s): 2007/291149 Publication restriction: Nil Decision under appeal Date of Decision: 2010-09-21 00:00:00 Before: Johnstone DCJ File Number(s): 1240/2007