Hancock v Rinehart (Costs) [2016] NSWSC 11

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Hancock v Rinehart (Costs) [2016] NSWSC 11 Hearing dates: Written submissions, closed 30 July 2015 Date of orders: 02 February 2016 Decision date: 02 February 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Brereton J Decision: Except insofar as any extant costs order otherwise provides, first defendant (Mrs Rinehart) to pay two-thirds of plaintiffs' costs of the proceedings, and not to be entitled to indemnity from the trust assets in respect of those costs, or her own costs of the proceedings. Catchwords: COSTS – apportionment of costs between issues – where successful plaintiffs fail on a significant issue – whether severable – overall allocation of responsibility for costs of proceedings – tools for apportionment – indemnity costs – whether plaintiffs put to costs wantonly or recklessly. Legislation Cited: (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005, s 101(4), (NSW) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, r 36.7 (WA) Trustees Act 1962, s 15 Cases Cited: Attorney-General (UK) v Murdoch (1856) 2 K&J 571; 69 ER 910 Commonwealth of Australia v Gretton [2008] NSWCA 117 Cretazzo v Lombardi (1975) 13 SASR 4 Dodds Family Investments Pty Ltd v Lane Industries Pty Ltd [1993] FCA 346; (1993) 26 IPR 261 Griffith v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (No 2) [2011] NSWCA 145 Hancock v Rinehart [2015] NSWSC 646; (2015) 106 ACSR 207 Hancock v Rinehart (Lump sum costs) [2015] NSWSC 1640 Hughes v Western Australia Cricket Association Inc (1986) ATPR ¶40-748 James v Surf Road Nominees Pty Limited (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 296 Killen v Leigo (NSWSC, Young J, 10 March 1997, unreported, BC9700736) Mobile Innovations Limited v Vodafone Pacific Limited [2003] NSWSC 423 Monie v Commonwealth of Australia (No 2) [2008] NSWCA 15 NRMA Ltd v Morgan (No. 3) [1999] NSWSC 768 Palairet v Carew (1863) 32 Beav 564; 55 ER 222 Re Buckton [1907] 2 Ch 406 Re the Palermo Unit Trust; Ex parte Philip Milton Rundell (as trustee for various trusts) [2014] WASC 69 Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) v McGregor (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 453 Rockdale City Council v Micro Developments Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 128 Rosniak v Government Insurance Office (1997) 41 NSWLR 608 Scaffidi v Montevento Holdings Pty Ltd [2011] WASCA 146 Trade Practices Commission v Nicholas Enterprises Pty Ltd (No. 3) [1979] FCA 143; (1979) 28 ALR 201; 42 FLR 213 Turkmani v Visvalingam (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 279 Waterman v Gerling (Costs) [2005] NSWSC 1111 Waters v P C Henderson (Aust) Pty Ltd (NSWCA, 6 July 1994, unreported) Category: Costs Parties: John Langley Hancock (first plaintiff) Bianca Hope Rinehart (second plaintiff) Gina Hope Rinehart (first defendant) Ginia Hope Frances Rinehart (second defendant) Hope Rinehart Welker (third defendant) Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (fourth defendant) Hope Downs Iron Ore Pty Ltd (fifth defendant) Representation: Counsel: C Withers w A Hochroth (plaintiffs) B R McClintock SC w S A Lawrance (first defendant) R G McHugh SC w P W Flynn (second defendant) M Deutsch (solicitor) (third defendant) D B Studdy SC w C Colquhoun (fourth and fifth defendants)