Alstom Limited & Ors v Sirakas (No. 2) [2012] NSWSC 64

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Alstom Limited & Ors v Sirakas (No. 2) [2012] NSWSC 64 Hearing dates: 27 and 28 October 2011 Decision date: 15 February 2012 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: White J Decision: Order that the defendant's notice of motion filed on 7 April 2011 be dismissed Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - private international law - application to stay proceedings - whether New South Wales a clearly inappropriate forum - whether parties agreed to submit present disputes to exclusive jurisdiction of Australian courts - whether agreement containing exclusive jurisdiction clause valid under Romanian Law - where parties have agreed that courts of Australia shall have exclusive jurisdiction in respect of substantial parts of the dispute, New South Wales not a clearly inappropriate forum

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - application to stay proceedings - where criminal prosecution pending in Romania - guidelines enunciated in McMahon v Gould (1982) 7 ACLR 202 applied - on the facts pendency of criminal investigation in Romania does not warrant stay of civil proceedings Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 Cases Cited: Voth v Manildra Flour Mills Pty Ltd [1990] HCA 55; (1990) 171 CLR 538 Alstom Limited & Ors v Sirakas [2010] NSWSC 669 Paramasivam v Flynn [1998] FCA 1711; (1998) 90 FCR 489 Murakami v Wiryadi [2010] NSWCA 7; (2010) 268 ALR 377 FAI General Insurance Co Ltd v Ocean Marine Mutual Protection and Indemnity Association (1997) 41 NSWLR 559 Pacific Carriers Ltd v BNP Paribas [2004] HCA 35; (2004) 218 CLR 451 Comandate Marine Corp v Pan Australia Shipping Pty Ltd [2006] FCAFC 192; (2006) 157 FCR 45; (2006) 238 ALR 457 Mackender v Feldia AG [1967] 2 QB 590 Lazard Bros & Co v Midland Bank Limited [1933] AC 289 Williams v Usher [1955] HCA 60; (1955) 94 CLR 450 F & K Jabbour v Custodian of Israeli Absentee Property [1954] 1 WLR 139 McMahon v Gould (1982) 7 ACLR 202 Category: Interlocutory applications Parties: Alstom Limited (1st Plaintiff) Alstom Power Romania SRL ACN J4018785/1992 (2nd Plaintiff) Alstom General Turbo SA ACN J40/26837/1994 (3rd Plaintiff) George Sirakas (Defendant) Representation: C Harris SC (Plaintiffs) A Scotting with S Chapple (Defendant) Colin Biggers & Paisley (Plaintiffs) Verekers Lawyers (Defendant) File Number(s): 2009/291651