Baltic Shipping Company v Dillon

The High Court of Australia heard an appeal by Baltic Shipping Company against a decision concerning a dispute with a respondent, Ms. Dillon. The core of the dispute involved a judgment awarded to Ms. Dillon by Mr. Justice Carruthers, which had been partially dismissed on appeal to the Court of Appeal of New South Wales.

The High Court was required to determine the appropriate quantum of damages to be awarded to the respondent, Ms. Dillon, and to consider the allocation of costs for the appeal proceedings. This involved reviewing the original judgment and the subsequent appeal decision to ascertain the correct assessment of the respondent's entitlements.

The Court, by consent of the parties' solicitors, ordered that the appellant, Baltic Shipping Company, pay 75 per cent of the respondent's costs of the appeal. The Court also set aside the order of the Court of Appeal that had dismissed the appeal to that court. In its place, the High Court ordered that so much of the judgment of Mr. Justice Carruthers as ordered the appellant to pay a specific sum to the respondent be set aside. The parties were directed to submit minutes of order within 21 days regarding the final sum to be paid by the appellant to the respondent, reflecting a judgment for the respondent in the sum of $49,497, plus interest.