Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd v Frederick Schulman (No 2) [2013] NSWSC 1153

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd v Frederick Schulman (No 2) [2013] NSWSC 1153 Hearing dates: 14 August 2013 Decision date: 22 August 2013 Jurisdiction: Equity Division Before: Sackar J Decision: See paragraph 53 Catchwords: PROCEDURE - amendment of pleadings - whether the plaintiff is effectively seeking to amend its pleadings - whether an issue not squarely raised during the hearing as an alternative case to the plaintiff's primary case can be agitated following judgment.

PROCEDURE - conduct of litigation generally - whether the defendant's conduct amounts to an admission or a concession - whether the defendant is otherwise bound by his conduct by reason of preclusionary doctrines - whether the defendant is seeking to "approbate and reprobate".

CONTRACTS - assessment of damages - whether the court should "do the best it can" on the available evidence to assess damages - whether this principle is applicable in a case where the nature of the amount to be proven permits precise calculation but there is a lack of evidence. Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 Water Act 1912 Cases Cited: Agricultural and Rural Finance Pty Ltd v Gardiner (2008) 238 CLR 570 Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd v Australian National University (2009) 239 CLR 175 Casey v Australian Broadcasting Commission [1981] 1 NSWLR 305 Codrington v Codrington (1865) LR 7 HL 854 Commonwealth v Verwayen (1990) 170 CLR 394 Coulton v Holcombe (1986) 162 CLR 1 Express Newspapers plc v News (UK) Ltd [1990] 1 WLR 1320 Grundt v Great Boulder Pty Gold Mines Ltd (1937) 59 CLR 641 McCrohon v Harith [2010] NSWCA 67 Nominal Defendant v Gabriel (2007) 71 NSWLR 150 Nowlan v Marson Transport Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 116 Oliver Ashworth (Holdings) Ltd v Ballard (Kent) Ltd [2000] Ch 12 OneSteel Manufacturing Pty Ltd v BlueScope Steel (AIS) Pty Ltd [2013] NSWCA 27 Paino v Paino (2008) 40 Fam LR 96 Penny v Milligan (1907) 5 CLR 349 R v Associated Northern Collieries (1911) 14 CLR 387 Richards v Cornford (No 3) [2010] NSWCA 134 Smits v Roach (2006) 227 CLR 423 Stewart v Williams (1914) 18 CLR 381 Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd v Frederick Schulman [2013] NSWSC 858 Thompson v Palmer (1933) 49 CLR 507 Water Board v Moustakas (1988) 180 CLR 491 White v Overland [2001] FCA 1333 Texts Cited: A K Turner, Spencer Bower and Turner: The Law Relating to Estoppel by Representation, 3rd ed (1977) John S Ewart, Waiver Distributed, (1917) Cambridge: Harvard University Press K Handley, Estoppel by Conduct and Election, (2006) Sweet & Maxwell P W Young, C Croft and M L Smith, On Equity, (2009) Thomson Reuters Category: Consequential orders Parties: Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd (Plaintiff) Frederick Schulman (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: R McKeand SC (Plaintiff) N Kidd SC (Defendant) Solicitors: Herbert Geer (Plaintiff) Levitt Robinson (Defendant) File Number(s): 2010/92382