In the matter of Idoport Pty Ltd (in liq)(recs apptd); National Australia Bank Limited (& Ors) v John Sheahan (& Ors) [2012] NSWSC 58

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: In the matter of Idoport Pty Ltd (in liq)(recs apptd); National Australia Bank Limited (& Ors) v John Sheahan (& Ors) [2012] NSWSC 58 Hearing dates: 1 February 2012 Decision date: 10 February 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division - Corporations List Before: Ward J Decision: Application for the production and inspection of particular documents over which privilege claimed by the plaintiffs dismissed Catchwords: EVIDENCE - legal professional privilege - issue waiver - whether party claiming privilege has acted inconsistently with maintenance of privilege - whether party put in issue its state of mind - whether contents of privileged documents relevant to state of mind were put in issue - whether claim for declaratory relief means that plaintiffs required to disprove reasonableness of refusal of consent - where understanding of legal rights unlikely to contribute to the party's state of mind in refusing consent - no assertion as to contents of privileged legal advice - no inconsistency with maintenance of privilege Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd v Spalvins (1998) 81 FCR 360 Australian Agricultural Company Limited v AMP Life Limited [2006] FCA 371 Australian Maintenance and Cleaning Pty Ltd v AMC Commercial Cleaning (NSW) Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 103 Ampolex Ltd v Perpetual Trustee Company (Canberra) Ltd (1995) 37 NSWLR 405 Anderson v Bank of British Columbia (1876) 2 Ch D 644 Austral Dutch Kaolin Pty Ltd v Hanjin P&C Co Ltd [2011] FCA 638 AWB Ltd v Cole (2006) 152 FCR 382 Bailey v Director-General, Department of Land and Water Conservation (2009) 74 NSWLR 333 Baker v Campbell (1983) 153 CLR 52 Bates v Donaldson [1896] 2 QB 241 Blanch v British American Tobacco Australia Services Ltd [2005] NSWSC 241 Bromley Park Garden Estate Ltd v Moss [1982] 1 WLR 1019 Carbotech-Australia Pty Ltd v Yates [2008] NSWSC 1151 Chen v City Convenience Leasing Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 297 Chalcedony Investments Pty Ltd v Faroud No 9 Pty Ltd (1988) ANZ Conv R431 Commissioner of Taxation v Rio Tinto Limited [2006] FCAFC 86 Commonwealth v Temwood Holdings Pty Ltd [2002] WASC 107 Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v Archer [2008] NSWCA 164; (2008) 72 NSWLR 236 DSE (Holdings) Pty Ltd v InterTAN Inc [2003] FCA 384; 127 FCR 499 DSE (Holdings) Pty Ltd v InterTAN Inc [2003] FCA 1191 Esso Australia Resources Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (1999) 201 CLR 49 Ferella v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2010) 188 FCR 68 Fort Dodge Australia Pty Ltd v Nature Vet Pty Ltd [2002] FCA 501 Franks v Warringah Council [2010] NSWSC 1318 Grant v Downs (1976) 135 CLR 674 Greenough v Gaskell (1833) 1 My & K 98; 39 ER 618 Hoy Mobile Pty Ltd v Allphones Retail Pty Ltd [2007] FCA 933 Hume v Munro (No 2) (1943) 67 CLR 462 International Drilling Fluids Ltd v Louisville Investments (Uxbridge) Ltd [1986] Ch 513 J. A. McBeath Nominees Pty Ltd v Jenkins Development Corporation Pty Ltd [1992] 2 Qd R 121 Lovelock v Margo [1963] 2 QB 786; [1963] 2 All ER 13 Lush v Russell (1850) 5 Exch 203 Mallalla District Council v Livestock Markets Ltd (2006) 94 SASR 258 Mann v Carnell (1999) 201 CLR 1 Massoud v NRMA Insurance Ltd (1995) 8 ANZ Insurance Cases 61-257 Noyes v Klein (1984) 3 BPR 9216 Osland v Secretary to the Department of Justice (2008) 234 CLR 275 R v Derby Magistrates Court; Ex parte B [1996] 1 AC 487 Re Idoport Ltd (in liq) (recs apptd) [2011] NSWSC 322; (2011) 83 ACSR 164 Rich v Harrington (2007) 245 ALR 106 Sanpine v Koompahtoo Local Aboriginal Land Council [2005] NSWSC 365 Secured Income Real Estate (Australia) Ltd v St Martins Investments Pty Ltd (1979) 144 CLR 596 Seven Network Limited v News Limited (No. 10) [2005] FCA 1721 Singtel Optus Pty Ltd v Weston [2011] NSWSC 1083 Sonnenthal v Newton (1965) 109 SJ 333 Southwark Water Co v Quick (1878) 3 QBD 315 Standard Chartered Bank of Australia Ltd v Antico (1993) 36 NSWLR 87 State of NSW v Jackson [2007] NSWCA 279 Tamsco Ltd v Franklins Ltd [2001] NSWSC 1205 Telstra Corporation Ltd v BT Australasia Pty Ltd (1998) 85 FCR 152 The Daniels Corporation International Pty Ltd v ACCC (2002) 192 ALR 561 Thomason v Campbelltown Municipal Council (1939) 39 SR(NSW) 347 Trade Practices Commission v Sterling (1979) 36 FLR 244 United States Surgical Corporation v Hospital Products International Pty Ltd (unreported, Supreme Court, New South Wales, 13 October 1981) Waugh Asset Management v Merrill Lynch [2010] NSWSC 197 Wayne Lawrence Pty Ltd v Hunt [1999] NSWSC 1044 Welch v Birrane (1974) 29 P & CR 102 Wheeler v Le Marchant (1881) 17 Ch D 635 Woollahra Municipal Council v Westpac Banking Corporation (1994) 33 NSWLR 529 Yokogawa Australia Pty Ltd v Alstom Power Ltd [2009] SASC 377; (2009) 262 ALR 738 Texts Cited: Butt, Land Law (4th ed, 2011) Category: Interlocutory applications Parties: National Australia Bank Limited (First Plaintiff) National Markets Group Limited (Second Plaintiff) Australian Market Automated Quotation (AUSMAQ) System Limited (Third Plaintiff) John Sheahan (First Defendant) Ian Russell Lock (Second Defendant) Fulham Partners LLC (Third Defendant) Portsmouth Partners LLC (Fourth Defendant) Idoport Pty Limited (in liquidation) (receivers appointed (Fifth Defendant) Representation: Counsel J T Gleeson SC with J R Williams (Plaintiffs) T Jucovic QC with Ms T L Wong (Third and Fourth Defendants) Solicitors Freehills (Plaintiffs) Atanaskovic Hartnell (Third and Fourth Defendants) No appearance for First, Second and Fifth Defendants File Number(s): 11/85023