White v Forster [2014] NSWSC 1767

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: White v Forster [2014] NSWSC 1767 Hearing dates: 22 April 2014 Decision date: 11 December 2014 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Button J Decision: (1) The claim of the plaintiffs, Julian White and Romeo Libut, against the second defendant, Gregory George, is struck out. (2) The claim of the plaintiffs against the first defendant, Reginald Forster, is struck out. (3) The plaintiffs must pay the costs of the first and second defendants in the proceedings before me. Catchwords: CIVIL LAW - professional negligence - strike out application - whether proceedings are statute barred pursuant to s 14 of the Limitation Act 1969 - whether defendants are protected from suit by the advocate's immunity - contingent analysis - whether the question of the application of the advocate's immunity should be considered as a separate and preliminary issue Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 38, 64, 65 Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), s 14 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules (2005), rr 13.4, 28 Cases Cited: Attard v James Legal Pty Ltd [2010] NSWCA 311 Brimson v Rocla Concrete Pipes Ltd [1982] 2 NSWLR 937 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid and Another [2005] HCA 12; 223 CLR 1 Donnellan v Woodland [2012] NSWCA 433; NSW Conv R 56-307 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) [1964] HCA 69; 112 CLR 125 Giannarelli v Wraith [1988] HCA 52; 165 CLR 543 Saif Ali v Sydney Mitchell & Co [1980] AC 198 Thompson v White & Anor; ACDC v Thompson [2005] NSWSC 1257 Thompson v White & Ors [2006] NSWCA 350 Thompson v White [2008] NSWSC 1 White & Anor v Thompson & Ors [2009] NSWSC 1103 White & Libut v Thompson & Ors [2011] NSWCA 161 Young v Hones [2013] NSWSC 1429 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Julian John White (First Plaintiff) Romeo Medina Libut (Second Plaintiff) Reginald John Forster (First Defendant) Gregory P George (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: D P M Ash (First and Second Plaintiff) P Knowles (First Defendant) D J Miller SC (Second Defendant) M Elliott (Second Defendant) Solicitors: Yeldam Price O'Brien Lusk (First Defendant) Moray & Agnew Lawyers (Second Defendant) File Number(s): 2011/396151