Obeid v Lockley [2018] NSWCA 71

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Obeid v Lockley [2018] NSWCA 71 Hearing dates: 4-5 September 2017 Date of orders: 12 April 2018 Decision date: 12 April 2018 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Beazley P at [205]; Leeming JA at [207] Decision: (1) Appeal dismissed.

(2) Appellants to pay the respondents' costs of the appeal. Catchwords: TORTS – Misfeasance in public office – officers of ICAC appointed as senior investigators recorded contents of documents on video during execution of search warrant – whether officers held public office – whether officers acted in excess of power – whether officers were aware of or recklessly indifferent to a likely risk of harm to the plaintiffs – whether sufficient for there to be a reasonable foreseeable risk of harm – whether officers caused damage to the plaintiffs Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 (NSW) Public Sector Employment Legislation Amendment Act 2006 (NSW) Cases Cited: Amoo Gottfried & Co v Legal Aid Board (Unreported, English Court of Appeal, 1 December 2000) Anning v Anning (1907) 4 CLR 1049; [1907] HCA 13 Barnes v Addy (1874) LR 9 Ch App 244 Beaudesert Shire Council v Smith (1966) 120 CLR 145; [1966] HCA 49 Bradshaw v McEwans Pty Ltd [1951] HCA 480; 217 ALR 1 CAL No 14 Pty Ltd v Motor Accidents Insurance Board (2009) 239 CLR 390; [2009] HCA 47 Calveley v Chief Constable of the Merseyside Police [1989] 1 AC 1228 Cannon v Tahche (2002) 5 VR 317; [2002] VSCA 84 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Kojic (2016) 249 FCR 421; [2016] FCAFC 186 Cornwall v Rowan (2004) 90 SASR 269; [2004] SASC 384 Coulton v Holcombe (1986) 162 CLR 1; [1986] HCA 33 Crawford Adjusters (Cayman) Ltd v Sagicor General Insurance (Cayman) Ltd [2014] AC 366 DPP (Cth) v Thomas [2016] VSCA 237; 315 FLR 31 Dunlop v Woollahra Municipal Council [1982] AC 158 Erickson v Bagley [2015] VSCA 220 Erven Warnink BV v J Townend & Sons (Hull) Ltd [1979] AC 731 Ex parte Kearney (1917) 17 SR (NSW) 578 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89; [2007] HCA 22 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Futuris Corp Ltd (2008) 237 CLR 146; [2008] HCA 32 FHR European Ventures LLP v Cedar Capital Partners LLC [2015] 1 AC 250; [2014] UKSC 45 Garrett v Attorney-General [1997] 2 NZLR 332 Graham v Minister for Immigration [2017] HCA 33; 91 ALJR 890 Hasler v Singtel Optus Pty Ltd (2014) 87 NSWLR 609; [2014] NSWCA 266 Henly v Mayor and Burgesses of Lyme (1828) 5 Bing 91; 130 ER 995 Jones (Liquidator) v Matrix Partners Pty Ltd, in the matter of Killarnee Civil & Concrete Contractors Pty Ltd (in liq) [2018] FCAFC 40; (2018) 260 FCR 310 Jones v Dunkel (1959) 101 CLR 298; [1959] HCA 8 Jones v Swansea City Council [1990] 1 WLR 54 Leerdam v Noori (2009) 227 FLR 210; [2009] NSWCA 90 Lewis v Condon (2013) 85 NSWLR 99; [2013] NSWCA 204 Marks v Commonwealth (1964) 111 CLR 549; [1964] HCA 45 McKellar v Container Terminal Management Services Ltd (1999) 165 ALR 409; [1999] FCA 1101 Meandarra Aerial Spraying Pty Ltd v GEJ & MA Geldard Pty Ltd [2013] 1 Qd R 319; [2012] QCA 315 Milroy v Lord (1862) 4 De GF&J 264 Mullett v Nixon [2016] VSC 512 Neilson v City of Swan (2006) 147 LGERA 136; [2006] WASCA 94 Northern Territory v Mengel (1995) 185 CLR 307; [1995] HCA 65 Nyoni v Shire of Kellerberrin [2017] FCAFC 157 Obeid v The Queen (2015) 91 NSWLR 226; [2015] NSWCCA 309 Okwume v Commonwealth [2016] FCA 1252 Perrett v Williams [2003] NSWSC 381 R v Bembridge (1783) 3 Dougl 327; 99 ER 679 R v Bowden [1996] 1 WLR 98 R v Cosford [2014] QB 81 R v McCann [1998] 2 Qd R 56 R v Quach (2010) 27 VR 310; [2010] VSCA 106 R v Whitaker [1914] 3 KB 1283 Re Baden's Deed Trusts (No 2) [1973] Ch 9 Re Baden's Deed Trusts [1971] AC 424 Re Lambie [2018] HCA 6 Rush v Commissioner of Police (2006) 150 FCR 165; [2006] FCA 12 Sanders v Snell (1998) 196 CLR 329; [1998] HCA 64 Sanders v Snell (No 2) (2003) 130 FCR 149; [2003] FCAFC 150 Shaw v Thomas [2010] NSWCA 169 Society of Lloyd's v Henderson [2008] 1 WLR 2255 South Australia v Lampard-Trevorrow (2010) 106 SASR 331; [2010] SASC 56 Spencer v Commonwealth (2015) 240 FCR 282; [2015] FCA 754 Sykes v Cleary (1992) 176 CLR 77; [1992] HCA 60 Three Rivers District Council v Governor and Company of the Bank of England (No 3) [2003] 2 AC 1 Valeriani v Gibson [1963] NSWR 1430 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40 at 48; [1980] HCA 12 Texts Cited: M Aronson, "Misfeasance in Public Office: A Very Peculiar Tort" (2011) 35 Melbourne University Law Review 1 M Aronson, "Misfeasance in Public Office: Some Unfinished Business" (2016) 132 Law Quarterly Review 427 Tina Cockburn and Mark Thomas, "Personal Liability of Public Officers in the Tort of Misfeasance in Public Office – Part 1" (2001) 9 Torts Law Journal 1 at 7-8 P Finn, "Public Officers: Some Personal Liabilities" (1977) 51 Australian Law Journal 13 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Edward Moses Obeid Senior (first appellant) Moses Edward Obeid (second appellant) Paul Edward Obeid (third appellant) Edward Joseph Obeid Junior (fourth appellant) Grant Lockley (first respondent) Paul Grainger (second respondent) Representation: Counsel: G Reynolds SC with D Hume (appellants) P Braham SC with R Scruby (first respondent) E Cheeseman SC with S Patterson (second respondent)