Conference & Exhibition Organisers Pty Ltd v Johnson [2016] NSWCA 118

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Conference & Exhibition Organisers Pty Ltd v Johnson [2016] NSWCA 118 Hearing dates: 18 May 2016 Decision date: 20 May 2016 Before: McColl JA at [1]; Meagher JA at [13]; Leeming JA at [41] Decision: (1) Appeal allowed. (2) Set aside the judgment for the respondents given on 21 August 2015 and the answers to the two preliminary questions ordered by the District Court. (3) The two preliminary questions ordered under UCPR, r 28.2 to be decided separately, be answered "no". (4) Respondents pay the appellant's costs of the notice of motion in the District Court filed on 3 June 2015, including its costs of and incidental to the hearing on 21 August 2015. (5) Respondents pay the appellant's costs of the appeal. Catchwords: ESTOPPEL – Anshun estoppel – whether appellant acted unreasonably in not raising claims made in District Court in earlier proceedings in Local Court that were settled – where consent judgment in Local Court gives rise to issue estoppels – where issue estoppels resolved common factual controversies – where no risk of inconsistent judgments – where raising of later claims in earlier proceedings would have required refusal of settlement, delay of proceedings and transfer to District Court – no unreasonableness in separately pursuing later claims and settling earlier proceedings Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 24, 56, 64, 140 District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 127 Local Court 2007 (NSW), s 29 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 28.2 Cases Cited: Bazos v Doman [2001] NSWCA 347 Boles v Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd (1989) 18 NSWLR 666 C G Maloney Pty Ltd v Noon [2011] NSWCA 397 Champerslife Pty Ltd v Manojlovski [2010] NSWCA 33; 75 NSWLR 245 Dow Jones and Company Inc v Gutnick [2002] HCA 56; 210 CLR 575 Ekes v Commonwealth Bank of Australia [2014] NSWCA 336; 313 ALR 665 Habib v Radio 2UE Sydney Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 231 Henderson v Henderson (1843) 3 Hare 100; 67 ER 313 Johnson v Gore Wood & Co [2000] UKHL 65; [2002] 2 AC 1 Ling v Commonwealth (1996) 68 FCR 180 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd [1981] HCA 45; 147 CLR 589 Tomlinson v Ramsey Food Processing Pty Ltd [2015] HCA 28; 89 ALJR 750 Yat Tung Investment Co Ltd v Dao Heng Bank Ltd [1975] AC 581 Zavodnyik v Alex Constructions Pty Ltd [2005] NSWCA 438; 67 NSWLR 457 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Conference & Exhibition Organisers Pty Ltd (Appellant) Matthew Johnson (First Respondent) Philip Stoddart (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: RD Marshall SC with EA Walker (Appellant) D A Moujalli (Respondents)