Welker & Ors v Rinehart & Anor (No 6) [2012] NSWSC 160

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Welker & Ors v Rinehart & Anor (No 6) [2012] NSWSC 160 Hearing dates: 28 February 2012 Decision date: 06 March 2012 Before: Ball J Decision: See paragraph 62 of this judgment. Catchwords: PROCEDURE - non-publication order under Court Suppression and Non-Publication Orders Act 2010 - whether order necessary to protect safety of any person - meaning of "necessary" - whether increase in media attention constituted threat to safety. PROCEDURE - Anshun estoppel - not applicable to interlocutory orders - whether party still free to re-litigate interlocutory application without change of circumstances. EVIDENCE - expert evidence - security and safety experts - UCPR expert witness code of conduct - failure to provide code to witness before preparing report - whether cured by later affidavit asserting compliance with code. EVIDENCE - expert evidence - compliance with experts code of conduct and Makita requirements - failure to comply - failure to identify material relied upon in expert report - failure to disclose reasoning process - no demonstration of application of specialised knowledge. Legislation Cited: Court Suppression and Non-Publication Orders Act 2010 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Cases Cited: Barak v WTH [2002] NSWSC Brimaud v Honeysett Instant Print Pty Ltd (1988) 217 ALR 44 Commonwealth Development Bank of Australia Pty Ltd v Cassegrain [2002] NSWSC 980 Hodder Rook & Associates Pty Ltd v Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 279 Hogan v Australian Crime Commission [2010] HCA 21; 240 CLR 651 Hogan v Hinch [2011] HCA 4; (2011) 243 CLR 506 Investmentsource v Knox St Apartments [2007] NSWSC 1128 Jermen v Shell Company of Australia Ltd [2003] NSWSC 1106 Licul v Corney (1976) 180 CLR 213 Makita (Australia) Pty Ltd v Sprowles (2001) 52 NSWLR 705 Nominal Defendant v Manning (2000) 50 NSWLR 139 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Limited (1981)147 CLR 589 Ray Fitzpatrick Pty Ltd v Minister for Planning [2007] NSWLEC 791 Rinehart v Welker [2011] NSWCA 403 Welker & Ors v Rinehart & Anor (No 5) [2012] NSWSC 45 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Hope Rinehart Welker (First Plaintiff) John Langely Hancock (Second Plaintiff) Bianca Hope Rinehart (Third Plaintiff) Gina Hope Rinehart (First Defendant) Ginia Hope Frances Rinehart (Second Defendant) Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd, Nationwide News Pty Ltd (Media Interests) Representation: Mr D F C Thomas (Plaintiffs) Mr M Walton SC (First Defendant) Mr F Kunc SC (Second Defendant) Mr D Sibtain / Ms F T Roughley (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd, Nationwide News Pty Ltd) Johnson Winter & Slattery (Plaintiffs) Corrs Chambers Westgarth (First Defendant) Gadens (Second Defendant) Addisons (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd, Nationwide News Pty Ltd) File Number(s): 2011/285907