Cohen v Double Bay Bowling Club [2019] NSWSC 1625

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Cohen v Double Bay Bowling Club [2019] NSWSC 1625 Hearing dates: 1 and 18 October 2019 Decision date: 22 November 2019 Jurisdiction: Equity - Technology and Construction List Before: Henry J Decision: See paragraphs [295] and [296] Catchwords: CONTEMPT – criminal contempt – breach of undertaking – construction of undertaking – whether ambiguous – meaning of "works in the nature of excavation" – whether digging of previously excavated material constitutes excavation – whether statement of charges against first defendant properly particularised – insufficient evidence that first defendant "arranged" for works to be carried out in breach of undertaking – whether second defendant carried out works in breach of undertaking as charged – whether contumacy is necessary to find guilty of criminal contempt

CIVIL PROCEDURE – stay of proceedings – abuse of process – whether plaintiffs' bringing of contempt proceedings constitutes abuse of process Legislation Cited: Conveyancing Act 1919 (NSW), s 177 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 101 Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW), Part 55, r 13 Cases Cited: ASIC v Sigalla (No 4) (2011) 80 NSWLR 113; [2011] NSWSC 62 Athens v Randwick City Council (2005) 64 NSWLR 58; [2005] NSWCA 317 Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union v Mudginberri Station Pty Ltd (1986) 161 CLR 98; (1986) 66 ALR 577 Australian Consolidated Press Ltd v Morgan (1965) 112 CLR 483 Bellerive Homes Pty Ltd v FW Projects Pty Ltd [2019] NSWSC 193 Bodycorp Repairers Pty Ltd v Oakley Thompson & Co Pty Ltd [2017] VSCA 22 Bydand Holdings Pty Limited v Pineland Property Holdings Pty Limited & Ors [2009] NSWSC 579 Bydand Holdings Pty Limited v Pineland Property Holdings Pty Limited & Ors [2009] NSWSC 584 Bydand Holdings Pty Limited v Pineland Property Holdings Pty Limited & Ors [2009] NSWSC 959 Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Grocon Constructions (Victoria) Pty Ltd (2014) 47 VR 527; [2014] VSCA 261 Doe v Dowling [2017] NSWSC 202 Dong v Song (No 4) [2019] ACTSC 168 Hearne v Street (2008) 235 CLR 125; [2008] HCA 36 Kirkpatrick v Kotis [2004] NSWSC 1265 Markisic v Commonwealth of Australia (2007) 69 NSWLR 737; [2007] NSWCA 92 Matthews v ASIC [2009] NSWCA 155 McDonnell v Novello [2006] NSWSC 1186 McGuirk v University of NSW [2009] NSWSC 1058 Mead v Mead (2007) 235 ALR 197; [2007] HCA 25 Microsoft Corporation v Marks (1996) 69 FCR 117; (1996) 139 ALR 99 Mosman Municipal Council v Kelly (No 3) (2009) 167 LGERA 91; [2009] NSWLEC 92 Pang v Bydand Holdings Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 69 Pisano v Dandris [2015] NSWSC 1219 Rafailidis v Camden Council [2015] NSWCA 185 Re Group Pty Ltd v Kazal (No 4) [2017] FCA 1084 Shaw v Yarranova Pty Ltd (2006) 15 VR 289; [2006] VSCA 291 Shepherd v The Queen (1990) 170 CLR 573 Spokes v Banbury Board of Health (1865) 1 Eq 42 Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd v Sharman Networks Ltd (2006) 150 FCR 110; [2006] FCAFC 41 Williams v Spautz (1992) 174 CLR 509; (1992) 107 ALR 635 Witham v Holloway (1995) 183 CLR 525 Zaia v Eshow [2019] NSWSC 740 Texts Cited: Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 5th ed, 2002) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gregory Clive Cohen (First Plaintiff) Mariela Sverdloff (Second Plaintiff)