Wruck v Telstra Limited

[2023] FCA 932

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Wruck v Telstra Limited [2023] FCA 932

File number(s):

QUD 56 of 2022

Judgment of:

MURPHY J

Date of judgment:

7 August 2023

Date of publication of reasons:

15 August 2023

Catchwords:

REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDINGS – application for approval to discontinue a representative proceeding – whether appropriate to treat the identity of the litigation funder as confidential – whether notice should be given to group members of proposed discontinuance – principles relevant to approval of discontinuance  – members –whether any limitation periods applicable to group members’ claims should begin to run again upon discontinuance – discontinuance approved    

Legislation:

Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) ss 33V, 33X, 33ZE, 33ZF

Cases cited:

Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Richards [2013] FCAFC 89

Court v Spotless Group Holdings Limited [2020] FCA 1730

Kelly v Willmott Forests (No 4) [2016] FCA 323; 335 ALR 439

Lainev Thiess Pty Ltd [2016] VSC 689

Perera v GetSwift Limited [2018] FCA 732; (2018) 263 FCR 1

Perera v GetSwift Limited [2018] FCA 732; 263 FCR 1

Turner v TESA Mining (NSW) Pty Ltd (No 2) [2022] FCA 435

Division:

Fair Work Division

Registry:

Victoria

National Practice Area:

Employment and Industrial Relations

Number of paragraphs:

38

Date of hearing:

7 August 2023

Solicitor for the Applicants:

Alexander Law

Counsel for the Respondent:

Mr P H Solomon KC

Solicitor for the Respondent:

Seyfarth Shaw

ORDERS

QUD56 of 2022

BETWEEN:

JODI FAYLENE WRUCK

First Applicant

IRWIN DAVIS

Second Applicant

AND:

TELSTRA LIMITED

Respondent

ORDER MADE BY:	MURPHY J
DATE OF ORDER:	7 AUGUST 2023

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.Discontinuance of the proceeding be approved pursuant to s 33V(1) of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) (FCA).  The Applicant has leave to discontinue the proceeding by filing a notice of discontinuance, forthwith.

2.Pursuant to ss 33V and 33ZF of the FCA any limitation period that applies to the claim of the Applicant and any group member, to which the proceeding relates, shall begin to run again from a date 60 days after the making of this order.

3.There be no order as to costs of the interlocutory application for approval of the discontinuance.

4.Other than Order 4 of the orders dated 16 June 2023, there be no order as to costs in the proceeding.

5.Within three days of these orders, a copy of these orders be published on each of the following websites for not less than three months:

(a)The website of the Applicants’ solicitors, accessible at: and

(b)The Current Class Actions page of the Federal Court of Australia website, accessible at: at the entry for this class action in the Queensland Registry.

AND THE COURT DECLARES THAT:

6.Order 1 does not affect any rights of the Applicant or any group member in the proceeding to pursue the claims that are the subject of this proceeding in another proceeding, subject to any applicable limitation period.

Note:   Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal…