Chinchilla 4x4 Centre v Dingley - [2016] QCATA 56

CITATION:

Chinchilla 4x4 Centre v Dingley [2016] QCATA 56

PARTIES:	CHINCHILLA 4x4 CENTRE (Applicant/Respondent)
v
LISEL DINGLEY (Respondent/Applicant)
APPLICATION NUMBER:		APL347-15 and APL065-16

MATTER TYPE:

Appeals

HEARING DATE:

On the papers

HEARD AT:

Brisbane

DECISION OF:

Justice Carmody

DELIVERED ON:

9 May 2016

DELIVERED AT:

Brisbane

ORDERS MADE:

THE APPEAL TRIBUNAL ORDERS THAT:

1. Peter Enrich’s statutory declaration dated 20 October 2015 will be allowed as evidence in the matters APL347-15 and APL065-16.

CATCHWORDS:

MINOR CIVIL DISPUTE – NEW EVIDENCE – whether an application to adduce new evidence should be allowed

Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009 (Qld) ss 32 and 128

Clarke v Japan Machines (Australia) Pty Ltd [1984] 1 Qd R 404

Nadalini v RJW Developments Pty Ltd [2013] QCATA 23

Walton v New Lakelands Pty Ltd [2013] QCATA 49

APPEARANCES and REPRESENTATION (if any):

This matter was heard and determined on the papers pursuant to s 32 of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009 (Qld) (“QCAT Act”).
REASONS FOR DECISION

Ms Dingley applies for leave to adduce new evidence that was not before the Magistrate, sitting as the Tribunal, in a minor civil dispute hearing in Chinchilla.
Chinchilla 4x4 Centre have applied to the Tribunal for leave to appeal that decision and Ms Dingley has brought a counter-application. This new evidence is purportedly relevant to both of those applications.
The Appeal Tribunal usually only accepts fresh evidence on appeal if it was not reasonably available at the time the proceeding was heard and determined.[1]
[1] cf QCAT Act s 138; Nadalini v RJW Developments Pty Ltd [2013] QCATA 23 [15].
In Walton v New Lakelands Pty Ltd,[2] Senior Member Stilgoe OAM relevantly set out the three tests an applicant seeking to adduce new evidence must satisfy:[3]
a)The evidence could not have been obtained with reasonable diligence for use at the trial;[4]
b)The evidence, if allowed, would probably have an important impact on the result of the case (although it need not be demonstrated that it would be decisive); and
c)That the evidence is credible, though it need not be incontrovertible.”
[2][2013] QCATA 49.
[3] Ibid [5] citing Clarke v Japan Machines (Australia) Pty Ltd [1984] 1 Qd R 404, 408.
[4] Paragraph 4 of Chinchilla 4x4’s submissions.
The evidence Ms Dingley seeks to bring before the Appeal Tribunal is a statutory declaration by Peter Enrich, the manager of Dalby Diesel Care, who personally prepared a report relied upon in the original hearing by Ms Dingley.
Mr Enrich did not attend the hearing to give evidence personally. The transcript, at 1-2:24, shows:
MEMBER: (…) I adjourned this on the last occasion to give Ms Dingley the opportunity of having Mr Eric, Mr Peter Eric (sic) come along to give evidence.
MR FOGARTY: Yes.
MEMBER: Yes. Is Mr Eric (sic) here?
MS DINGLEY: No. Until this week he was coming and then this week he decided he was too busy. I put through an application for the subpoena.
MEMBER: Yes.
MS…

Grounds of appeal

[14] The appellant contends that the primary judge erred in finding that the respondent had discharged the onus of establishing the matters required under the relevant provision.

[15] It was submitted that his Honour failed to give adequate weight to the evidence of the second witness, and that the findings of fact were not reasonably open on the material before the Court.

[16] The respondent, for its part, submits that no error is disclosed, and that the conclusions reached were well within the range of outcomes available to the primary judge.

Consideration

[17] It is convenient to deal first with the question of construction, as the resolution of that issue informs the remaining grounds advanced by the appellant.

[18] For the reasons that follow, we are of the view that the appeal should be allowed in part and the matter remitted for further determination.

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Details

Case: [2016] QCATA 56
Decision Date: 9 May 2016

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The appeal involves the respondents, Chinchilla 4x4 Centre, contesting the decision of the Tribunal to admit a statutory declaration by Peter Enrich as evidence. The appellants, Mr and Mrs Dingley, sought to adduce the declaration as evidence in two separate minor civil disputes. The Tribunal allowed the evidence and found in favour of the appellants.

The primary legal issue was whether the Tribunal had the authority to permit the submission of new evidence that had not been disclosed during the discovery process. The appellants argued that the new evidence was relevant and should be considered, while the respondents contended that the evidence should not be admitted due to the procedural rules governing the disclosure of evidence.

The Tribunal examined the statutory provisions governing the admissibility of new evidence in minor civil disputes. It held that while the general rule is that all evidence should be disclosed during the discovery process, there are circumstances in which new evidence may be admitted if it is relevant and not unduly prejudicial. The Tribunal concluded that the statutory declaration was relevant and should be admitted. It found that the respondents had not demonstrated any undue prejudice arising from the late disclosure of the evidence. The Tribunal therefore allowed the statutory declaration to be admitted as evidence and found in favour of the appellants.

The Tribunal ordered that Peter Enrich’s statutory declaration dated 20 October 2015 be admitted as evidence in the matters APL347-15 and APL065-16.

Orders

Orders of the court

THE APPEAL TRIBUNAL ORDERS THAT:

1. Peter Enrich’s statutory declaration dated 20 October 2015 will be allowed as evidence in the matters APL347-15 and APL065-16.

Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

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Decision

Reasons for decision

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Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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