Drake v Wight & Strickland Lawyers [2015] NSWSC 1090

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Drake v Wight & Strickland Lawyers [2015] NSWSC 1090 Hearing dates: 10 June 2015, 29 July 2015 Date of orders: 06 August 2015 Decision date: 06 August 2015 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Harrison AsJ Decision: The Court orders that:

(1) The amended statement of claim filed 1 April 2015 is dismissed.

(2) The proceedings are dismissed.

(3) The plaintiffs are to pay the defendant's costs of the proceedings on an ordinary basis as agreed or assessed. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – application for summary dismissal – whether the right to bring proceedings divested from the trustee upon discharge from bankruptcy – whether advocate's immunity applies – whether claims time barred Legislation Cited: Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Federal Court Act 1976 (Cth) Limitation Act 1969 (NSW) Limitation of Actions Act 1974 (Qld) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Attard v James Legal [2010] NSWCA 311 Badman v Drake [2008] NSWSC 1366 Bott v Carter [2012] NSWCA 89 Christie v Purves [2007] NSWCA 182 Commonwealth of Australia v Cornwell (2007) 229 CLR 519; [2007] HCA 16 Daemar v Industrial Commission of NSW (No 2) (1990) 22 NSWLR 178 Donnellan v Woodland [2012] NSWCA 433 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 Ersh v The Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Burwood and District Saint Nectarios Limited [2015] NSWSC 331 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) [1964] HCA 69; (1964) 112 CLR 125 Giannarelli v Wraith [1988] HCA 52; (1988) 165 CLR 543 Hawkins v Clayton [1988] HCA 15; (1988) 164 CLR 539 Hunt & Hunt Lawyers v Mitchell Morgan Nominees Pty Ltd [2013] HCA 10; (2013) 247 CLR 613 Kovarfi v BMT & Associates Pty Ltd (No 2) [2014] NSWSC 100 McDonald v Grech; Bank of WA v McDonald [2012] NSWSC 717 Nikolaidis v Satouris [2014] NSWCA 448 O'Brien v Bank of Western Australia Ltd [2013] NSWCA 71 Rees v Sinclair [1974] 1 NZLR 180 Rondel v Worseley [1969] 1 AC 191; [1967] 3 All ER 993 Simmons v Protective Commissioner of NSW [2012] NSWSC 455 Spencer v Commonwealth [2010] HCA 28; (2010) 241 CLR 118 Wardley Australia Ltd v Western Australia [1992] HCA 55; (1992) 175 CLR 514 Windsurf Holdings Pty Ltd v Leonard; Carlson v Leonard; Wyvill v Leonard [2009] NSWCA 6 Young v Hones [2014] NSWCA 337 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Lawrence Drake (First Plaintiff) Judith Drake (Second Plaintiff) Wight & Strickland Lawyers (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: I Griscti (Defendant)