DC v State of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 198

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: DC v State of New South Wales [2016] NSWCA 198 Hearing dates: 3 and 4 March 2016 Decision date: 10 August 2016 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Ward JA at [161]; Sackville AJA at [373] Decision: (1) Appeal allowed. (2) In each of proceedings 2008/289325 and 2008/289326 set aside the judgment entered in favour of the first defendant and the orders made on 22 May 2015 by Campbell J (other than the order in relation to the costs of the second defendant of the respective proceedings to the extent that the second defendant has incurred costs separate from those of the first defendant in defending the proceedings) and in lieu thereof order (i) in both proceedings that judgment be entered for the plaintiff against the first defendant. (ii) in proceedings 2008/289325 (in which the plaintiff is DC) order the first defendant to pay to the plaintiff damages in the sum of $536,463.60 plus the sum of $790 for interest on past out of pocket expenses (the interest on past out of pocket expenses subject to provision to the respondent's legal representatives of evidence of actual payment of those expenses). (iii) in proceedings 2008/289326 (in which the plaintiff is TB) order the first defendant to pay to the plaintiff damages in the sum of $939,435.60 plus the sum of $4,022 by way of interest on past out of pocket expenses (the interest on past out of pocket expenses subject to provision to the respondent's legal representatives of evidence of actual payment of those expenses). (3) Submissions in relation to the question of costs of the appeal and of the proceedings below (no more than 3 pages) to be filed by the parties within 7 days, with the intent that costs orders will be made on the papers. (4) Liberty to the parties to apply within 3 days if there is any arithmetical error in the calculation of the amounts, having regard to these reasons, in accordance with the respective schedules submitted with the supplementary submissions. Catchwords: TORTS – negligence – liability of statutory authority – where authority notified of child physical and sexual abuse – whether finding that abuse did not continue in period after notification was erroneous – whether duty authority owed appellants in exercise of its statutory powers extended in the circumstances of this case to obligation to report abuse to police – whether failure to notify was a necessary condition of harm suffered by appellants Legislation Cited: Child Welfare Act 1939 (NSW), ss 4, 72(j), 73, 76, 78, 82(2), 125, 133, 134, 135, 136, 146, 148, 148A, 148B, 148C, 149, 158, Pt XIV; Pt XVII Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1988 (NSW), s 9; Ch 3 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), Pts 3, 5, ss 5B, 5D, 5E, 43A, 44, 46 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 352 Crown Proceedings Act 1988 (NSW), s 5 Miscellaneous Acts (Community Welfare) Repeal and Amendment Act 1987 (NSW), s 3 Cases Cited: Adeels Palace Pty Ltd v Moubarak (2009) 239 CLR 420; [2009] HCA 48 Bales v Parmeter (1935) 35 SR (NSW) 182 Board of Fire Commissioners of New South Wales v Ardouin (1961) 109 CLR 105 Bonnington Castings Ltd v Wardlaw [1956] AC 613; 1 All ER 615 Bowman v Farnell (1886) 7 NSWR 1 Carltona Ltd v Commissioner of Works [1943] 2 All ER 560 Clarke v Bailey (1933) 33 SR (NSW) 303 Commonwealth v McLean (1996) 41 NSWLR 389 DC v State of New South Wales [2009] NSWSC 297 DC v New South Wales [2010] NSWCA 15 Farnell v Bowman (1887) 12 App Cas 643 Fox v Percy [2003] HCA 22; (2003) 214 CLR 118 Graham Barclay Oysters Pty Ltd v Ryan [2002] HCA 54; (2002) 211 CLR 540 Leotta v Public Transport Commission of NSW (1976) 50 ALJR 666 M v The Queen [1994] HCA 63; (1994) 181 CLR 487 Maguire v Simpson (1977) 139 CLR 362 Malec v JC Hutton Pty Ltd [1990] HCA 20; (1990) 169 CLR 638 Michael v The Chief Constable of South Wales Police [2015] UKSC 2 Modbury Triangle Shopping Centre Pty Ltd v Anzil (2000) 205 CLR 254; [2000] HCA 61 Nicholson v Nicholson (1994) 35 NSWLR 308 Petchell v Du Pradal [2015] QCA 132 Purkess v Crittenden [1965] HCA 34; (1965) 114 CLR 164 Pyrenees Shire Council v Day (1998) 192 CLR 330; [1998] HCA 3 Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW v Dederer [2007] HCA 42; (2007) 234 CLR 330 Robinson Helicopter Company Inc v McDermott [2016] HCA 22 Romeo v Conservation Commission of the Northern Territory (1998) 192 CLR 431; [1998] HCA 5 Seltsam Pty Limited v Ghaleb [2005] NSWCA 208; 3 DDCR 1 State of New South Wales v Burton [2006] NSWCA 12 State of New South Wales v Burton [2008] NSWCA 319 Stuart v Kirkland-Veenstra [2009] HCA 15; (2009) 237 CLR 215 Sullivan v Moody (2001) 207 CLR 562; [2001] HCA 59 Tabet v Gett [2010] HCA 12; (2010) 240 CLR 537 TB v State of New South Wales [2009] NSWSC 326 TB v State of New South Wales and Quinn; DC v State of New South Wales and Quinn [2015] NSWSC 575 TC v State of New South Wales [2001] NSWCA 380 Van Colle v Chief Constable of the Hertfordshire Police; Smith v Chief Constable of Sussex Police [2009] AC 225 Wallace v Kam [2013] HCA 19; 250 CLR 375 Watts v Rake [1960] HCA 58; (1960) 108 CLR 158 X (Minors) v Bedfordshire County Council [1995] 2 AC 633 Texts Cited: Harold Luntz, Assessment of Damages for Personal Injury and Death (4th ed, 2003, LexisNexis Butterworths) Category: Principal judgment Parties: DC (First Appellant) TB (Second Appellant) State of New South Wales (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: A S Morrison SC with K Pryde and N Morrissey (Appellants) Ms P Wass SC with I Harvey (Respondent)