Duncan v Big Country Developments Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 163

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Duncan v Big Country Developments Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 163 Hearing dates: 9 June 2016 Decision date: 19 July 2016 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Ward JA at [2]; Leeming JA at [3] Decision: Appeal dismissed with costs. Catchwords: LANDLORD AND TENANT – long term lease – primary judge found tenant abandoned premises and rejected claim that landlord had repudiated lease – whether landlord wrongfully retook possession – whether landlord repudiated lease – whether landlord mitigated loss

PRACTICE – overseas witness – required to attend for cross-examination – late application for witness to give evidence by audio-visual link – no appellable error in refusing application Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56 Cases Cited: Big Country Developments Pty Ltd v Peter Griffiths [2015] NSWSC 414 Big Country Developments Pty Ltd v Peter Griffiths (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 436 Big Country Developments Pty Ltd v Peter Griffiths (No 3) [2015] NSWSC 1182 Gnych v Polish Club Ltd [2015] HCA 23; 255 CLR 414 Howard v Pickford Tool Co Ltd [1951] 1 KB 417 Karacominakis v Big Country Developments Pty Ltd [2000] NSWCA 313 Konica Business Machines Australia Pty Ltd v Tizine Pty Ltd (1992) 26 NSWLR 687 McCleod Nominees Pty Ltd v Tony Sadler Pty Ltd (unreported, Supreme Court of Western Australia, 7 August 1995) McDonald v Denny Lascelles Ltd (1933) 48 CLR 457 Progressive Mailing House Pty Ltd v Tabali Pty Ltd (1985) 157 CLR 17 Taupau v HVAC Constructions (Queensland) Pty Ltd [2012] NSWCA 293 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Adrian Duncan (First Appellant) Justin Fox (Second Appellant) Big Country Developments Pty Ltd (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: B Coles QC, J Baird (Appellants) J Horowitz, L Robb Vujcic (Respondent)