Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd v Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd [No 20]

Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd and Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd were involved in a legal dispute, with the latter two companies applying to strike out parts of the former's defence. The case was heard in the Federal Court of Australia. The primary issue before the court was whether it should make a pre-trial ruling on the admissibility of settlement deeds and the utility of such a ruling in the context of the overarching case management principles. Another issue was whether the admissibility of evidence, specifically the settlement deeds, should be considered in isolation from the basis of their tender.

The court considered the complexities raised by the pleadings in the consolidated proceedings, CIV 3041 of 2010. It noted that the admissibility of the settlement deeds was intertwined with the basis of their tender, which was not straightforward. The court held that given the intricacies of the case, it would be inappropriate to provide an advance ruling on the admissibility of the evidence. The court emphasised that the case management principles should guide its decision-making process, and in this instance, it found that a pre-trial ruling would not be beneficial. Consequently, the court declined to make an advance ruling on the admissibility of the settlement deeds.