Indochina Medical Co Pty Ltd v Nicolai [2013] NSWCA 436

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Indochina Medical Co Pty Ltd v Nicolai [2013] NSWCA 436 Hearing dates: 3 December 2013 Decision date: 17 December 2013 Before: Barrett JA (at [1]); Emmett JA (at [93]); Gleeson JA (at [103]) Decision: 1. Extend to 4 July 2013 the time for filing of the summons seeking leave to appeal. 2. Grant leave to appeal. 3. Direct that a notice of appeal in the form in the white folder be filed within seven days. 4. Dismiss the appeal. 5. That the appellant pay the respondent's costs of the proceedings in this Court. [Note: The Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 provide (Rule 36.11) that unless the Court otherwise orders, a judgment or order is taken to be entered when it is recorded in the Court's computerised court record system. Setting aside and variation of judgments or orders is dealt with by Rules 36.15, 36.16, 36.17 and 36.18. Parties should in particular note the time limit of fourteen days in Rule 36.16.] Catchwords: EVIDENCE - evidence on commission or letters of request - jurisdiction and in general - application under Evidence on Commission Act 1995 for issue of commissions for examination in France and Switzerland - proposal that commissioner interview persons, determine which, if any, facts elicited are relevant to party's case in the proceedings and record those facts in affidavits to be sworn before commissioner - whether that procedure may be the subject of a commission - alternative application under the Act for issue of letters of request directed to judicial authorities of those countries - same function of eliciting, selecting and recording facts envisaged - no statement or description of evidence to be adduced - whether letters of request should be ordered Legislation Cited: Convention between the United Kingdom and France Respecting Legal Proceedings in Civil and Commercial Matters [1928] ATS 2 East India Company Act 1772 (UK) Evidence on Commission Act 1831 (UK) Evidence by Commission Act 1843 (UK) Evidence on Commission Act 1995 Evidence (Proceedings in Other Jurisdictions) Act 1975 (UK) Foreign Tribunals Evidence Act 1856 (UK) Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters [1992] ATS 37 Foreign Evidence Act 1994 (Cth) Oaths Act 1900 Supreme Court of Judicature Act 1873 (UK) Supreme Court Act 1970 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Witnesses Examination Act 1900 (NSW) Cases Cited: Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (No 18) (1995) 133 ALR 667 Allstate Life Insurance Co v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (No 29) (1996) 64 FCR 61 Armour v Walker (1884) 25 Ch D 673 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Rich [2004] NSWSC 467; (2004) 49 ACSR 578 British American Tobacco Australia Services Ltd v Eubanks [2004] NSWCA 158; (2004) 60 NSWLR 483 Burchard v MacFarlane; Ex parte Tindall and Dryhurst [1891] 2 QB 241 Fisher v CHT Ltd [1965] 1 WLR 1093 Hardie Rubber Co Pty Ltd v General Tire & Rubber Co [1973] HCA 66; (1973) 129 CLR 521 Hatt v Hatt (1877) 3 VLR (E) 227 Henderson v Primmer (1986) 68 ACTR 9 Hobbs v Dangar [1839] NSWSupC 18 House v The King [1936] HCA 40; (1936) 55 CLR 499 at 505 Magnusson v ACT Health and Community Care Service [2001] ACTSC 3 McDonald v Page [1923] SASR 167 Moutry v Boyd [1848] NSWSupC 56 Nicolai v Indochina Medical Co Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 654 Pickles v Gratzon [2002] NSWSC 688; (2002) 55 NSWLR 533 Practice Note (Chancery: Deposition) [1981] 1 WLR 1560 Radio Corporation of America v Rauclaud Corporation [1956] 1 QB 618 Re State of Norway's Application (No 1) [1987] 1 QB 433 Rio Tinto Zinc Corporation v Westinghouse Electric Corporation [1978] AC 547 State of Minnesota v Philip Morris Inc [1998] ILPr 170 Sydney Ferries Ltd v SS Tahiti (1928) 28 SR (NSW) 307 Willis v Trequair [1906] HCA 32; (1906) 3 CLR 912 Texts Cited: Lawrence Collins, Essays in International Litigation and the Conflict of Laws (1994) Oxford University Press David McClean, International Co-operation in Civil and Criminal Matters (2002) Oxford University Press R E Walker, The Practice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales at Common Law (1958) Law Book Ritchie's Uniform Civil Procedure NSW Category: Principal judgment Parties: Indochina Medical Co Pty Ltd (Applicant) Yves Nicolai (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr D A Hughes (Applicant) Ms K C Morgan (Respondent) Solicitors: Solomon Brothers (Applicant) Gilbert & Tobin (Respondent) File Number(s): 2013/204423 Decision under appeal Citation: [2013] NSWSC 654 Date of Decision: 2013-05-30 00:00:00 Before: Young AJ File Number(s): 2012/23272