State of New South Wales v James Hardie and Coy Pty Ltd

[2000] NSWCA 2

CITATION:	STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES v JAMES HARDIE & COY PTY LTD [2000] NSWCA 2
FILE NUMBER(S):	CA 40562/98
HEARING DATE(S):	2 February 2000
JUDGMENT DATE:	2 February 2000
PARTIES :	State of New South Wales - Appellant James Hardie & Coy Pty Ltd - Respondent
JUDGMENT OF:	Sheller JA; Beazley JA; Fitzgerald JA

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION :	Dust Diseases Tribunal
LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) :	DDT 199/96
LOWER COURT JUDICIAL OFFICER :	Judge Maguire QC

COUNSEL:	J M Ireland QC - Appellant B W Walker SC/G M Watson - Respondent
SOLICITORS:	I V Knight - Crown Solicitor - Appellant Allen Allen & Hemsley - Respondent
DECISION:	(1) Appeal allowed; (2) Direct the respondent cross-claimant to re-plead on or before 23 February 2000 ; (3) Remit the proceedings to the Dust Diseases Tribunal; (4) The respondent to pay the appellant's costs of the appeal.

THE SUPREME COURT
OF NEW SOUTH WALES
COURT OF APPEAL

CA 40562/98
DDT 199/96

SHELLER JA
BEAZLEY JA
FITZGERALD JA

Wednesday, 2 February 2000

STATE OF NEW SOUTH WALES v JAMES HARDIE & COY PTY LTD

JUDGMENT

1    SHELLER JA: This is an appeal brought by leave granted on 12 April 1999 from a judgment of his Honour, Judge Maguire QC, sitting in the Dust Diseases Tribunal of New South Wales.

2    The decision was given on 28 June 1998. On that occasion his Honour dismissed a notice of motion by which the appellant sought an order that a cross-claim brought in proceedings in that Tribunal be struck out.

3    During the course of argument this morning, it became apparent, and counsel for the respondent cross-claimant fairly conceded, that the cross- claim as pleaded did not adequately state the case that the cross-claimant wished to propound at trial.

4    That being so, it seemed to the Court not appropriate to proceed on pleadings which clearly called for amendment. In those circumstances, it seems appropriate to the Court that the following orders should be made:

(1) Appeal allowed;
(2) Direct the respondent cross-claimant to re-plead on or before 23 February 2000;
(3) Remit the proceedings to the Dust Diseases Tribunal;
(4) The respondent to pay the appellant's costs of the appeal.

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