Jeffreys v Sheer

[2025] NSWCA 31

Court of Appeal

Supreme Court

New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation:

Jeffreys v Sheer [2025] NSWCA 31

Hearing dates:

26 February 2025

Decision date:

11 March 2025

Before:

Mitchelmore JA at [1];
Adamson JA at [2];
Basten AJA at [89]

Decision:

(1)   Dismiss the appeal.

(2)   Order the appellant to pay the respondent’s costs of the appeal.

Catchwords:

APPEALS — Contracts — Formation — where primary judge found intention to form a binding and enforceable contract in the terms of a letter — whether primary judge erred in assessment of circumstances — whether primary judge erred in assessment of parties’ intentions — whether contract excluded by prior agreements

APPEALS — Procedural fairness — Evidence — where primary judge preferred evidence of plaintiff as to key disputed conversations — where primary judge regarded evidence of defendant as “self-interested” — whether error in treatment of evidence of witnesses

APPEALS — Procedural fairness — where slight disparity between pleaded case and case as conducted — where counsel for defendant at first instance confirmed no prejudice — whether defendant denied procedural fairness

APPEALS — Further evidence — Power to receive further evidence — where appellant made informal application to adduce fresh evidence on day of hearing — whether leave should be granted to admit fresh evidence

Legislation Cited:

Australian Consumer Law (Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth), Sch 2)

Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A

Cases Cited:

Air Great Lakes Pty Ltd v KS Easter (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1985) 2 NSWLR 309

Australian Broadcasting Corp v XIVth Commonwealth Games Ltd (1988) 18 NSWLR 540

Banque Commerciale SA (En Liqn) v Akhil Holdings Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 279; [1990] HCA 11

Council of the City of Greater Wollongong v Cowan (1955) 93 CLR 435; [1954] HCA 16

Dare v Pulham (1982) 148 CLR 658; [1982] HCA 70

Equuscorp Pty Ltd v Glengallan Investments Pty Ltd (2004) 218 CLR 471; [2004] HCA 55

Esso Australia Resources Limited v Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia (1999) 201 CLR 49; [1999] HCA 67

Mackay v Dick (1881) 6 App Cas 251

Onassis v Vergottis [1968] 2 Lloyd’s Rep. 403

Preston v Harbour Pacific Underwriting Management Pty Limited [2008] NSWCA 216

R v Birks (1990) 19 NSWLR 677; (1990) 48 A Crim R 385

Category:

Principal judgment

Parties:

Bruce Michael Jeffreys (Appellant)
Itshak Sheer (Respondent)

Representation:

Counsel:
Appellant (self-represented)
D P Robinson SC / M Hazan (Respondent)

Solicitors:
Not applicable (Appellant)
Shmilovits Law Group (Respondent)

File Number(s):

2024/381607

 Decision under appeal 

Court or tribunal:

Supreme Court

Jurisdiction:

Equity

Citation:

Sheer v Jeffreys [2024] NSWSC 1161

Date of Decision:

13 September 2024

Before:

Kunc J

File Number(s):

2021/162425

HEADNOTE

[This headnote is not to be read as part of the judgment]

Bruce Jeffreys appealed against orders in favour of the respondent, Itshak Sheer, for specific performance of an agreement which required Mr Jeffreys to purchase Mr Sheer’s shares in Dresden Optics Pty Ltd (Dresden) for $2.5 million.

In 2014,…