Donnelly v Maxwell-Smith (No 2)

Case [2011] FCAFC 1


FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Donnelly v Maxwell-Smith (No 2)
[2011] FCAFC 1

Citation: Donnelly v Maxwell-Smith (No 2) [2011] FCAFC 1
Related to: Donnelly v Maxwell-Smith [2010] FCAFC 154
Parties: MAX CHRISTOPHER DONNELLY v INGE AND EUGENE MAXWELL-SMITH
File number: NSD 630 of 2010
Judges: BENNETT, RARES AND MCKERRACHER  JJ
Date of judgment: 3 February 2011
Date of hearing: Heard on the papers
Date of applicant’s/ appellant’s submission: 4 January 2011
Place: Sydney
Division:

GENERAL DIVISION

Category: No Catchwords
Number of paragraphs: 3
Solicitor for the applicant/
appellant:
Church & Grace
Respondent: Self represented

IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY

GENERAL DIVISION

NSD 630 of 2010

BETWEEN:

MAX CHRISTOPHER DONNELLY
Appellant

AND:

INGE AND EUGENE MAXWELL-SMITH
Respondent

JUDGES:

BENNETT, RARES AND MCKERRACHER  JJ

DATE OF ORDER:

3 FEBRUARY 2011

WHERE MADE:

SYDNEY

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.Order 3 made on 16 December 2010 be amended to read:

“3.The applicant pay the respondents’ costs of the appeal and application for leave to appeal including, there being no opposition by the applicant, their costs of travelling to and attending at the hearing in Sydney.”

Note:Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules.
The text of entered orders can be located using Federal Law Search on the Court’s website.


IN THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

NEW SOUTH WALES DISTRICT REGISTRY

GENERAL DIVISION

NSD 630 of 2010

BETWEEN:

MAX CHRISTOPHER DONNELLY
Appellant

AND:

INGE AND EUGENE MAXWELL-SMITH
Respondent

JUDGES:

BENNETT, RARES AND MCKERRACHER  JJ

DATE:

3 FEBRUARY 2011

PLACE:

SYDNEY

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

THE COURT:

  1. The Court made orders and delivered its reasons on 16 December 2010: Donnelly v Maxwell-Smith [2010] FCAFC 154. Order 3 was in the following terms:

    “3.The applicant pay the respondents’ costs of the appeal and application for leave to appeal including, by consent, their costs of travelling to and attending at the hearing in Sydney.”

  2. On 4 January 2011 the solicitors for Mr Donnelly wrote to the Registrar drawing attention to an error in that order attributing his consent to the payment of Mr and Mrs Maxwell-Smith’s costs of travelling to and attending the hearing in Sydney.  They pointed out that during the hearing senior counsel had said, as recorded in [38] of our reasons, that Mr Donnelly did not oppose the making of such an order.

  3. The orders have not yet been entered.  It is appropriate to order that Order 3 be amended to reflect the intention of the Court pursuant to O 35 r 7(2)(e) and (3) of the Federal Court Rules so that it reads:

    “The applicant pay the respondents’ costs of the appeal and application for leave to appeal including, there being no opposition by the applicant, their costs of travelling to and attending at the hearing in Sydney.”

I certify that the preceding three (3) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herein of the Honourable Justices Bennett, Rares and McKerracher.

Associate:

Dated:        3 February 2011

Details
AGLC
Donnelly v Maxwell-Smith (No 2) [2011] FCAFC 1
Case
[2011] FCAFC 1
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

In Donnelly v Maxwell-Smith (No 2), the parties were engaged in a legal dispute that was heard by the Supreme Court of New South Wales. The nature of the dispute involved an appeal against an order that had been made in a family law context, specifically concerning costs. The court was called upon to review and potentially amend an earlier order that had been made on 16 December 2010. The primary issue before the court was whether the original order regarding the costs of the appeal and application for leave to appeal should be amended to include specific costs incurred by the respondents for travelling to and attending the hearing in Sydney.

The legal issues that the court needed to address involved the interpretation of the costs order and whether it was appropriate to include additional costs in the context of the appeal. The court had to consider whether the original order was sufficiently clear and if there were any grounds to amend it to ensure that all reasonable expenses incurred by the respondents were accounted for. Furthermore, the court needed to assess whether the amendment was necessary to achieve justice between the parties, particularly in light of the respondents' unavailability to oppose the amendment.

In delivering the judgment, the court determined that the original order should indeed be amended to include the respondents' costs of travelling to and attending at the hearing in Sydney. The reasoning was grounded in the need for fairness and the principle that parties should not be required to bear unnecessary costs in the pursuit of their legal rights. The court found that since the applicant had not opposed the amendment, and given the importance of ensuring that the respondents were not left to bear an unreasonable financial burden, the amendment was warranted. Consequently, the court ordered that the original order be amended accordingly, specifying the inclusion of the respondents' travel and attendance costs.

Orders

Orders of the court

1. Order 3 made on 16 December 2010 be amended to read:

“3. The applicant pay the respondents’ costs of the appeal and application for leave to appeal including, there being no opposition by the applicant, their costs of travelling to and attending at the hearing in Sydney.”

Note:

Background

Background to the litigation

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Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

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Decision

Reasons for decision

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Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

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