De Santis v Russo

[2001] QSC 65

SUPREME COURT OF QUEENSLAND

CITATION:

De Santis v Russo [2001] QSC 065

PARTIES:

MIRELLA DE SANTIS
(applicant)
v
MARIA RUSSO
(respondent)

FILE NO/S:

0048/98

DIVISION:

Trial Division at Brisbane

PROCEEDING:

Application

ORIGINATING COURT:

Supreme Court at Brisbane

DELIVERED ON:

12 March 2001

DELIVERED AT:

Brisbane

HEARING DATE:

7 November 2000

JUDGE:

Atkinson J

ORDER:

Application dismissed

CATCHWORDS:

PRACTICE – REGISTRATION OF FOREIGN JUDGMENT – Application to set aside registration of foreign judgment –whether foreign court had jurisdiction – whether judgment obtained by  fraud – whether judgment contrary to public policy – Foreign Judgments Act 1991(Cth), ss 6 and 7

Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), s 4
Foreign Judgments Act 1991 (Cth) ss 3(1), 6 and 7
Service and Execution of Process Act 1992 (Cth), Pt 6
Supreme Court (Foreign Judgments) Rules 1993, r 4(1)(b).

Abouloff v Oppenheimer & Co. (1882) 10 QBD 295, followed
Aksionairnoye Obschestro A.M. Luther v James Sagor & Co [1921] 3 KB 532, followed
Attorney-General (United Kingdom) v Heinemann Publishers Australia Pty Ltd (1988) 165 CLR 30, considered
Bertuch v Lynch (1998) FLC ¶ 92 –796, considered
Close v Arnot NSWSC No10107 of 1996, 21 November 1997, considered
Cook v Cook (1986) 162 CLR 376, considered
Cosgrove v Johns [2000] QCA 157, CA No 453 of 1998, 5 May 2000, followed
Emanuel v Symon [1998] 1 KB 302, considered
Hunt v BP Exploration Co (Libya) Ltd (1980) 144 CLR 565, followed
In the Marriage of Smith [1984] 9 FamLR 675, considered
Lepre v Lepre [1965] P 52, followed
Loucks v Standard Oil Co of New York (1918) 224 NY 99, considered
Morf-Zinggeler v Morf [1999] WASC 10, SC No 11 of 1998, 27 April 1999, considered

Owens Bank Ltd v Bracco (1992) 2 WLR 621, followed

Pennoyer v Neff 95 US 714, 24 L Ed 565, followed.

Rejfek v McElroy (1965) 112 CLR 517, followed

Re Macartney [1921] 1 Ch 522, not followed

Re Monroe Schneider Associates (Inc) v Barry Lee Schneider (1992) 37 FCR 234, followed

Skene v Dale [1990] VR 605, considered

Stern v National Australia Bank [1999] FCA 1421, followed

Tobin v Tobin (1999) FLC ¶ 92 – 848, considered

Williams & Glyn’s Bank v Astro Dinamico [1984] 1 WLR 438, followed

Vervaeke v Smith [1983] AC 145 at 164, considered

Von Wyl v Engeler [1998] 3 NZLR 416, followed

Yoon v Song [2000] NSWSC 1147, SC No 10737 of 1998, 8 December 2000, considered

COUNSEL:

SJ Lee for Applicant

SOLICITORS:

Ellison Moschella & Co for Applicant
Nicholsons Solicitors for Respondent

1. ATKINSON J:  This is an application pursuant to the Foreign Judgments Act 1991 (Cth) (“the FJ Act”) to set aside the registration of a judgment ordered by Fryberg J on 12 January 1998.

1. The application was made by Mirella De Santis who is the widow of Giulio De Santis.  Giulio De Santis emigrated to Australia from Italy on 3 March 1961 after legally separating from…