Gavan v FSS Trustee Corporation [2019] NSWSC 667

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Gavan v FSS Trustee Corporation [2019] NSWSC 667 Hearing dates: 8 March 2019 Date of orders: 07 June 2019 Decision date: 07 June 2019 Jurisdiction: Equity Before: Ward CJ in Eq Decision: 1. Set aside Order 4 of the consent orders made on 16 February 2017 (but noting that any use by the defendants of the documents falling within the scope of Order 4 that would otherwise have been in breach of the implied Harman undertaking or not authorised for any other reason shall be deemed to have been authorised). 2. Dismiss the amended notice of motion filed by the plaintiff on 14 November 2018 with costs. 3. Dismiss the notice of motion filed 6 March 2019 by the second defendant with no order as to costs. 4. Order the plaintiff to comply by 30 June 2019 with the notice to produce issued by the second defendant on 1 June 2018. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE – Notices to produce – documents sought under notice to produce – whether notice to produce should be set aside – whether no legitimate forensic purpose – whether an abuse of process – whether use of documents precluded by the Harman undertaking Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 34, 36.15 Cases Cited: A v Z [2007] NSWSC 899 Alterskye v Scott [1948] 1 All ER 469 Ambridge Investments Pty Ltd v Baker (No 3) [2010] VSC 545 Associated Dominions Assurance Society Pty Ltd v John Fairfax & Sons Pty Ltd (1952) 72 WN (NSW) 250 British American Tobacco Australia Services Ltd v Eubanks (2004) 60 NSWLR 483; [2004] NSWCA 158 British and American Tobacco Services Ltd v Cowell (No 2) (2003) 8 VR 571; [2003] VSCA 43 Commissioner of Police v Hughes [2009] NSWCA 306 Crest Homes Plc v Marks [1987] AC 829 Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Karas [2012] VSC 143 Eltran Pty Ltd v Westpac Banking Corporation (1990) 25 FCR 322 Esso Australian Resources v Plowman (1995) 183 CLR 10; [1995] HCA 19 Findex Group Ltd v iiNet Ltd [2018] NSWSC 1567 Hamersley Iron Pty Ltd v Lovell (1998) 19 WAR 316 Harman v Secretary of State for the Home Department [1983] 1 AC 280 Hearne v Street (2008) 235 CLR 125; [2008] HCA 36 Hellessey v MetLife Insurance Limited [2017] NSWSC 1284 Holpitt Pty Limited v Varimu Pty Limited (1991) 29 FCR 576 ICAP Australia Pty Ltd v BGC Partners (Australia) Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 307 ICAP Pty Ltd v Moebes [2009] NSWSC 306 Liberty Funding Pty Ltd v Phoenix Capital Ltd [2005] FCAFC 3; (2005) 218 ALR 283 Malick v McGeown [2008] NSWSC 129 Norris v Kandiah [2007] NSWSC 1296 Northbuild Construction Pty Ltd v Discovery Beach Project Pty Ltd [2010] 1 Qd R 244 Northbuild Constructions Pty Ltd v Discovery Beach Project Pty Ltd (No 4) [2011] 1 Qd R 145; [2009] QCA 345 Patonga Beach Holdings Pty Ltd v Lyons [2009] NSWSC 869 Premier Travel Pty Limited v Satellite Centres of Australia Pty Limited [2004] NSWSC 864 Prime Finance Pty Limited and Ors v Randall and Ors [2009] NSWSC 361 Prudential Assurance Co Ltd v Fountain Page Ltd [1991] 1 WLR 756; [1991] 3 All ER 878 Riddick v Thames Board Mills Ltd [1977] QB 881 Rinehart v Rinehart [2018] NSWSC 1102 Sapphire (SA) Pty Ltd (trading as River City Grain) v Barry Smith Grains Pty Ltd (in liq) [2011] NSWSC 1451 Springfield Nominees Pty Limited v Bridge Lands Securities Limited (1992) 38 FCR 217 TAL Life Ltd v Shuetrim, MetLife Insurance Ltd v Shuetrim [2016] NSWSCA 68 Taylor v O'Neil [2012] NSWSC 626 Wellness Pty Limited v Hamilton-Bond [2002] NSWSC 1259 Woolworths Limited v Lawson [2002] NSWSC 985 Texts Cited: Adrian Zuckerman et al., Zuckerman on Australian Civil Procedure (2018, LexisNexis Butterworths Australia) Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Roslyn Amy Gavan (Plaintiff) FSS Trustee Corporation as Trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme (First Defendant) MetLife Insurance Limited (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: DP O'Dowd (Plaintiff) C Purdy (Defendant)