Clavel v Savage

[2013] NSWSC 775

Supreme Court

New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation:

Clavel v Savage [2013] NSWSC 775

Hearing dates:

25, 28 - 29 October 2010; 1 - 5, 8 - 12, 15 - 19, 22 - 26, 29 - 30 November 2010; 3, 6 - 10, 13 - 17 December 2010; 21 - 23 February 2011; 11 March 2011; 9 May 2011; 22, 24 June 2011

Decision date:

14 June 2013

Jurisdiction:

Common Law

Before:

Rothman J

Decision:

(1)Judgment for the third defendant herein.

(2)In relation to the claim against the first and second defendant, within 28 days of the date of this judgment, the plaintiffs file and serve written submissions of no more than 20 pages on what, if any, damages arose from the wrongful conduct, as defined in the reasons for judgment, and the quantum of damages, if any, that flow therefrom.

(3)Within a further 28 days, the first and second defendants file and serve one set of written submissions of no more than 20 pages in response to the submissions filed by the plaintiffs pursuant to the immediately preceding order.

(4)The plaintiffs shall pay the third defendant's costs of and incidental to these proceedings, as agreed or assessed.

(5)Liberty is granted to the parties to apply, by email to my Associate, for any special or different order as to costs within 21 days of the date of this judgment accompanied by a written submission of no more than 3 pages, with any party affected thereby signifying, by email to my Associate, agreement or opposition thereto within a further 21 days and, to the extent that the affected party opposes any such order, that party may file a submission of no more than 3 pages to support such opposition.

(6)Otherwise the proceedings are dismissed.

Catchwords:

TORT - malicious prosecution - collateral abuse of process - intentional infliction of emotional distress - discussion of elements and principles - application of principles to largely factual judgment - reasonable and proper cause for prosecution - malice or extraneous or improper purpose

Legislation Cited:

Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999
Crimes Act 1900
Evidence Act 1995

Cases Cited:

A v State of New South Wales [2007] HCA 10; (2007) 230 CLR 500
ACN 087 528 774 Pty Ltd v Chetcuti [2008] VSCA 274
Albert v Lavin [1982] AC 546
Allsop v Allsop [1860] 157 ER 1292
Ansett Transport Industries (Operations Pty Ltd) v Australian Federation of Air Pilots [1991] 1 VR 637
Beckett v New South Wales [2013] HCA 17
Browne v Dunn (1829) 57 ER 909
Bunyan v Jordan [1937] HCA 5; (1937) 57 CLR 1
Cabassi v Villa [1940] HCA 41; (1940) 64 CLR 130
Cameron v James [1945] VLR 113
Carter v Walker [2010] VSCA 340; (2010) 32 VR 1
Collins v Wilcock [1984] 1 WLR 1172
Commonwealth Life Assurance Society Ltd v Brain [1935] HCA 30; (1935) 53 CLR 343
D'orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid [2005] HCA 12; (2005) 223 CLR 1
Davis v Gell [1924] HCA 56; (1924) 35 CLR 275
Earnshaw v Loy (No 1) [1959] VR 248
Fabre v Arenales (1992) 27 NSWLR 437
Flower & Hart v White Industries (Qld) Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 773; (1999) 87 FCR 134
Forster v MacDonald (1995) 127 DLR (4th) 185
Giller v Procopets [2008] VSCA 236; (2008) 24 VR 1
Goldsmith v Speerings Ltd (1977) 2 All ER 566
Gollan v Nugent [1988] HCA 59; (1988) 166 CLR 18
Gregory v Portsmouth City Council [2000] UKHL 3; [2000] 1 AC 419
Hanrahan v Ainsworth (1990) 22 NSWLR 73
Herniman v Smith [1938] AC 305
Janvier v Sweeney [1919] 2 KB 316
Jones v Dunkel [1959] HCA 8; (1959) 101 CLR 298
Latham v Singleton [1981] 2 NSWLR 843
Little v Law Institute of Victoria (No 3) [1990] VR 257
Magill v Magill [2006] HCA 51; (2006) 226 CLR 551
McFadzean v Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union [2004] VSC 289
McKernan v Fraser [1931] HCA 54; (1931) 46 CLR 343
Mogul SS v McGregor (1889) 23 QBD 598
Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Naidu; ISS Security Pty Ltd v Naidu [2007] NSWCA 377; (2008) 71 NSWLR 471
Northern Territory v Mengel [1995] HCA 65; (1995) 185 CLR 307
QIW Retailers Ltd v Felview Pty Ltd [1989] 2 Qd R 245
Quartz Hill Consolidated Mining Co v Eyre (1983) 11 QBD 674
R v Burdett (1820) 4 B & Ald 95; 106 ER 823
Re F [1990] 2 AC 1
RPS v R [2000] HCA 3; (2000) 199 CLR 620
Rookes v Barnard [1964] AC 1129
Sid Ross Agency v Actors Equity (1970) 90 WN (Part 7) (NSW) 743
Sorrell v Smith [1925] AC 700
Spautz v Gibbs (1990) 21 NSWLR 230
State of New South Wales v Hathaway [2010] NSWCA 184
Tame v New South Wales [2002] HCA 35; (2002) 211 CLR 317
Thomas v State of New South Wales (2008) 74 NSWLR 34
Trobridge v Hardy [1955] HCA 68; (1955) 94 CLR 147
Varawa v Howard Smith Co Ltd [1911] HCA 46; (1911) 13 CLR 35
Wilkinson v Downton [1897] 2 QB 57
Williams v Hursey [1959] HCA 51; (1959) 103 CLR 30
Williams v Spautz [1192] HCA 34; (1992) 174 CLR 509
Wilson v Pringle [1987] QB 237 (CA)
Wiltshire v Barrett (1966) 1 QB 312
Woodley v Boyd [2001] NSWCA 35

Texts Cited:

Sappideen & Vines: Fleming's The Law of Torts, 10th Ed, 2011 Law Book Co.

Category:

Principal judgment

Parties:

Jean Luc Clavel (First Plaintiff)
Sarah Luc Clavel (Second Plaintiff)
John Savage (First Defendant)
Kim Savage (Second Defendant)
The State of New South Wales (Third Defendant)

Representation:

Counsel:
D Baran/M Eirth (Plaintiffs)
Self represented (First Defendant)
Self represented (Second Defendant)
P W Neil SC/G Giagios (Third Defendant)
Solicitors:
Dorrough Smart Solicitors (Plaintiffs)
Self represented (First Defendant)
Self represented (Second Defendant)
Crown Solicitors' Office (Third Defendant)

File Number(s):

2002/69251

Publication restriction:

None

NOTE: This decision contains over 900 paragraphs and 20 images. Because of its size the decision has been published in three parts via PDF documents. To view and print you will need to select the hyperlinks to each part provided in the index below.

Index

Part 1 (PDF)
Judgment	[1]
Cri de Coeur	[5]
Causes of Action	[11]
Intentional infliction of emotional distress	[11]
Malicious prosecution	[37]
Collateral abuse of process	[75]
Assault and battery	[87]
Burden of proof and the drawing of inferences	[102]
Part 2 (PDF)
Summary of the trial	[116]
Summary of evidence	[126]
Assessment of witnesses	[681]
Assessment of Mr Clavel	[683]
Assessment of Mr Savage	[722]
Part 3 (PDF)
Claim of malicious prosecution against the State	[727]
First prosecution	[727]
Second prosecution	[754]
Third prosecution	[768]
Fourth and fifth prosecution	[786]
Sixth prosecution: the Kennedy assault	[816]
Apprehended Violence Orders - collateral abuse of process	[833]
Wilkinson v Downton: the claims against Mr and Mrs Savage	[865]
Conclusion	[911]

Decision last updated: 21 June 2013