Dickson v Northern Lakes Rugby League Sport & Recreation Club Inc & Anor (No.2) [2019] NSWDC 433

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Dickson v Northern Lakes Rugby League Sport & Recreation Club Inc & Anor (No.2) [2019] NSWDC 433 Hearing dates: 12 - 15, 21 August 2019 Date of orders: 23 August 2019 Decision date: 23 August 2019 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Abadee DCJ Decision: See paragraph 178 Catchwords: TORTS – action in negligence under common law – plaintiff was a player in a Second Division Country Rugby League competition game - plaintiff injured as a result of a 'spear tackle' by second defendant whilst carrying the ball - whether liability provisions of Civil Liability Act excluded on basis of 'intentional act' of the second defendant that was done 'with intent to cause injury' to the plaintiff – whether 'intent to injure' is satisfied by mental state of recklessness – whether duty of care – whether duty of care breached – causation – voluntary assumption of risk – contributory negligence Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 3B(1)(a) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 59 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140 Cases Cited: Agar v Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 552 Canterbury Municipal Council v Taylor [2002] NSWCA 24 Chapman v Hearse (1961) 106 CLR 112 Chappel v Hart (1998) 195 CLR 232 Condon v Basi [1985] 1 WLR 866 Croucher v Cachia [2016] NSWCA 132 Dean v Phung [2012] NSWCA 223 Dickson v Northern Lakes Rugby League Sport & Recreation Club Inc [2019] NSWDC 426 Dovuro Pty Ltd v Wilkins (2003) 215 CLR 317 Fede v Gray by his tutor New South Wales Trustee and Guardian [2018] NSWCA 316 Fuz v Carter [2006] NSWSC 771 Goode v Angland [2017] NSWCA 311 Herne Investments (NSW) Pty Ltd v Don Watson Proprietary Ltd [2016] NSWCA 72 Imbree v McNeilly (2008) 236 CLR 510 Frazer v Johnston (1980) Aust Torts Rep 80-248 Johnston v Frazer (1990) 21 NSWLR 89 Li v R [2005] NSWCCA 442 March v E & M Stramare Pty Ltd (1991) 171 CLR 506 McCracken v Melbourne Storm Rugby League Football Club [2005] NSWSC 107 McCracken v Melbourne Storm Rugby League Football Club Ltd [2007] NSWCA 353 McHale v Watson (1964) 111 CLR 384 McIntyre v R [2009] NSWCCA 305 McNamara v Duncan (1971) 26 ALR 584 Palmer Bruyn & Parker v Parsons (2001) 208 CLR 388 R v Lardner (NSWCCA, Unreported 10 September 1998) Re Lenfield (1993) Aust Torts Rep 81-22 Roggenkamp v Bennett (1950) 80 CLR 292 Rootes v Shelton (1967) 116 CLR 383 Secretary, Department of Health & Community Services v JWB & SMB (1992) 175 CLR 218 State of New South Wales v Ibbett (2005) 65 NSWLR 168 State of New South Wales v McMaster [2015] NSWCA 228 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] HCA 34; (2017) 91 ALJR 936 TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd v Anning (2002) 54 NSWLR 333 Vairy v Wyong Shire Council (2005) 223 CLR 422 White v Johnston [2015] NSWCA 18 Williams v Milotin (1957) 97 CLR 465 Wilson v Nilepac Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 63 Woods v Multi-Sport Holdings Pty Ltd (2002) 208 CLR 460 Wyong Shire Council v Shirt (1980) 146 CLR 40 Texts Cited: C. Sappideen & P. Vines' Fleming's The Law of Torts (10th ed) D. Villa, Annotated Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) (3rd ed) H. Luntz, "Compensation for Injuries to Sport" (1980) 54 ALJ 588 P Cane, "Mens Rea in Tort Law" (2000) 20 Oxford JLS 533 S Yeo, 'Determining consent in body contact sports' (1998) Torts Law Rev 199 The Restatement of the Law of Torts (2nd) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mr Dickson (Plaintiff) Northern Lakes Rugby League Sport & Recreation Club Inc (First Defendant) Mr Fletcher (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr B Gross QC (Plaintiff) Mr M Best (First and Second Defendants)