Beckett v State of New South Wales [2015] NSWSC 1500

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Beckett v State of New South Wales [2015] NSWSC 1500 Hearing dates: 30 October 2015 Date of orders: 10 November 2015 Decision date: 10 November 2015 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Harrison J Decision: (1) Judgment for the plaintiff for $4,091,717 ($2,310,350 plus interest of $1,781,367).

(2) Order the defendant to pay the plaintiff's costs of and incidental to the proceedings up to and including 30 May 2014 on an ordinary basis and thereafter on an indemnity basis. Catchwords: COSTS – whether usual rule that costs follow the event should apply – success – whether some issues were dominant – differential costs orders – whether plaintiff's success on some but not all issues should determine where the burden of the costs should fall – whether plaintiff should pay costs of issues upon which she did not succeed

COSTS – offer of compromise – no question of principle – indemnity costs – where result no less favourable than plaintiff's offer

INTEREST – Supreme Court Practice Note Gen 16 – whether plaintiff entitled to interest – whether Practice Note applies to plaintiff's damages – whether any reason not to award interest or to limit the amounts upon which interest should be calculated Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 Evidence Act 1995 Police Act 1990 Practice Note SC Gen 16 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 Cases Cited: Baulderstone Hornibrook v HBO & DC and Ors [2001] NSWSC 821 Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd v Qantas Airways Ltd [2003] FCA 325 Beckett v State of New South Wales [2015] NSWSC 1017 Bennette v Cohen (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 162 Bostik Australia Pty Ltd v Liddiard (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 304 Caine v Lumley General Insurance Ltd (No 2) [2008] NSWCA 109 Evans Deacon Pty Ltd v Siebel Furniture Ltd [2003] FCA 282 Fire and All Risks Insurance Co Ltd v Callinan [1978] HCA 31; (1978) 140 CLR 427 Heydon v NRMA Ltd (No 2) [2001] NSWCA 445; (2001) 53 NSWLR 600 Hogan v Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Archdiocese of Sydney (No 2) [2006] NSWSC 74 K&E George Pty Ltd v Survery [2009] NSWSC 1044 Kieran Leslie Walzel & Anor v Stephen Paul Francis [2010] NSWSC 75; (2010) 77 NSWLR 92 Maestrale v Aspite [2014] NSWCA 182 Morgan v Johnson (1998) 44 NSWLR 578 Ohn v Watson (1995) 36 NSWLR 77 Oshlack v Richmond River Council [1998] HCA 11; (1998) 193 CLR 72 Ruby v Marsh [1975] HCA 32; (1975) 132 CLR 642 Thompson v Faraonio (1979) 54 ALJR 231 Tomanovic v Global Mortgage Equity Corporation Pty Ltd (No 2) [2011] NSWCA 256 Category: Costs Parties: Roseanne Beckett (Plaintiff) State of New South Wales (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: K Nomchong SC with N Broadbent (Plaintiff) J E Maconachie QC with A N Williams (Defendant)