Ulman v Live Group Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 338

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Ulman v Live Group Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 338 Hearing dates: 2 and 3 August 2018 Decision date: 20 December 2018 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Beazley P at [1]; McColl JA at [239] Decision: (1) Appeal allowed in part.

(2) Set aside orders 1, 2 and 3 of 23 April 2018 of the Supreme Court and, in lieu thereof, order that:

(a) the first, second and third appellants pay to the Registrar of the Court a fine for contempt of court in the sum of $7,500;

(b) the fourth appellant pay to the Registrar of the Court a fine for contempt of court in the sum of $2,500; and

(c) the appellants pay the respondents' costs of the proceedings below on an ordinary basis.

(3) The appellants to pay 75 per cent of the respondents' costs of the appeal. Catchwords: CONTEMPT – appellants found guilty of contempt for threatening second respondent with religious sanctions for failing to submit to jurisdiction of a religious court in respect of an alleged commercial dispute – whether primary judge's findings of contempt were those that were charged – whether primary judge erred in finding appellants placed improper pressure on second respondent to desist from asserting the alleged commercial dispute be resolved in a civil court, which had a real tendency to interfere with the administration of justice generally

SENTENCING – criminal contempt – penalties – fine – whether penalties imposed were manifestly excessive

COSTS – party/party – bases of quantification – indemnity basis – whether primary judge erred in finding appellants should pay part of respondents' costs on an indemnity basis Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 98 Commercial Arbitration Act 2010 (NSW) International Arbitration Act 1974 (Cth) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 42.1 Cases Cited: Agricultural Societies Council of NSW Ltd v Christie (2016) 340 ALR 560; [2016] NSWCA 331 Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission (1992) 175 CLR 564; [1992] HCA 10 Attorney-General v Times Newspapers Ltd [1974] AC 273 Attorney-General for the State of New South Wales (on the Relation of MacLeod) v Grant (1976) 135 CLR 587; [1976] HCA 38 Attorney-General; Ex rel Elisha v Holy Apostolic & Catholic Church (1989) 37 NSWLR 293 Avopiling Pty Ltd v Bosevski [2018] NSWCA 146 Bhagat v Global Custodians Ltd [2002] NSWCA 160 Bostik Australia Pty Ltd v Liddiard (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 304 Canterbury Municipal Council v Moslem Alawy Society Ltd (1985) 1 NSWLR 525 Canterbury Municipal Council v Moslem Alawy Society Ltd (1987) 162 CLR 145; [1987] HCA 8 Cellarit Pty Ltd v Cawarrah Holdings Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] NSWCA 266 Church of the New Faith v Commissioner of Pay-roll Tax (Vic) (1983) 154 CLR 120; [1983] HCA 40 Commercial Bank of Australia v Preston [1981] 2 NSWLR 554 Coward v Stapleton (1953) 90 CLR 573; [1953] HCA 48 Deen v Stronghearts Pty Ltd (1998) 8 Tas R 432 Einfeld v The Queen (2010) 266 ALR 598; [2010] NSWCCA 87 Ex parte Bread Manufacturers Ltd (1937) 37 SR (NSW) 242 Farahbakht v Midas Australia Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 1322 Forster v Jododex Australia Pty Ltd (1972) 127 CLR 421; [1972] HCA 61 Greenberg v Greenberg 238 AD 2d 420 (1997) Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd v Rinehart (2017) 350 ALR 658; [2017] FCAFC 170 Harkianakis v Skalkos (1997) 42 NSWLR 22 Hillfinch Properties Ltd v Newark Investments Ltd [1981] The Times 9 (1 July 1981) House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Inghams Enterprises Pty Ltd v Timania Pty Ltd (2005) 221 ALR 823; [2005] FCAFC 155 James v Robinson (1963) 109 CLR 593; [1963] HCA 32 John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd v McRae (1955) 93 CLR 351; [1955] HCA 12 Lane v Registrar of Supreme Court of New South Wales (1981) 148 CLR 245; [1981] HCA 35 Live Group Pty Ltd v Rabbi Ulman [2018] NSWSC 393 Meissner v The Queen (1995) 184 CLR 132; [1995] HCA 41 Mirus Australia Pty Ltd v Gage [2017] NSWSC 1046 Oshlack v Richmond River Council (1998) 193 CLR 72; [1998] HCA 11 R v Chief Rabbi; ex parte Wachmann [1992] 1 WLR 1036 Resolute Ltd v Warnes [2000] WASCA 359 Rinehart v Rinehart (No 3) (2016) 337 ALR 174; [2016] FCA 539 Ryde Developments Pty Ltd v The Property Investors Alliance Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] NSWCA 40 The Prothonotary v Collins (1985) 2 NSWLR 549 Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust (NSW) v Vincent (Unreported, Court of Appeal (NSW), Kirby P, Clarke JA and Sheller JA, 19 August 1994) Warringah Shire Council v Manly Daily Pty Ltd (Unreported, Court of Appeal (NSW), Hope, Glass and Samuels JJA, 27 August 1985) Witham v Holloway (1995) 183 CLR 525; [1995] HCA 3 Yeshiva Properties No 1 Pty Ltd v Lubavitch Mazal Pty Ltd [2003] NSWSC 775 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Rabbi Yehoram Ulman (First Appellant/First Cross-Respondent) Rabbi Moshe Gutnick (Second Appellant/Second Cross-Respondent) Rabbi Michael Chriqui (Third Appellant/Third Cross-Respondent) Rabbi Eli Schlanger (Fourth Appellant/Fourth Cross-Respondent) Live Group Pty Ltd (First Respondent/First Cross-Appellant) Reuven Barukh (Second Respondent/Second Cross-Appellant) Representation: Counsel: I Neil SC; P Moorhouse (Appellants) J Gleeson SC; S Wells; J Anderson (Respondents)