MetLife Insurance Ltd v RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia Ltd [2016] NSWSC 980

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: MetLife Insurance Ltd v RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia Ltd [2016] NSWSC 980 Hearing dates: 04/07/2016 Date of orders: 15 July 2016 Decision date: 15 July 2016 Jurisdiction: Equity - Commercial List Before: McDougall J Decision: Separate questions answered: see at [117] below Catchwords: INSURANCE – reinsurance – whether addendum operates back to back with reinsurance treaty – whether presumption that reinsurance is back to back with underlying insurance is relevant

CONTRACT – interpretation and construction of commercial contracts – general principles of construction applied – interpretation of "Initial Event Sentence" – whether Initial Event Sentence operates as a condition of or exclusion from the reinsurance cover Legislation Cited: Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Australian Broadcasting Commission v Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd (1973) 129 CLR 99 Axa Reinsurance (UK) plc v Field [1996] 3 All ER 517 Electricity Generation Corporation v Woodside Energy Ltd (2014) 251 CLR 640 Forsikringsaktieselskapet Vesta v Butcher [1989] AC 852 McCann v Switzerland Insurance Australia Ltd (2000) 203 CLR 579 MetLife Insurance Ltd v RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia Ltd [2016] NSWSC 416 Miwa Pty Ltd v Siantan Properties Pte Ltd [2011] NSWCA 297 Mount Bruce Mining Pty Ltd v Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (2015) 89 ALJR 990 Municipal Mutual Insurance Ltd v Sea Insurance Company Ltd [1998] Lloyd's Rep IR 421 Wasa International Insurance Co Ltd v Lexington Insurance Co [2010] 1 AC 180 Westport Insurance Corporation v Gordian Runoff Ltd (2011) 244 CLR 239 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: MetLife Insurance Ltd (Plaintiff) RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia Ltd (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: I M Jackman SC / J G Duncan (Plaintiff) S R Donaldson SC / S A Lawrance (Defendant)