Case: Hooper v Kirella [1999] FCA 1584 ; (1999) 96 FCR 1
Outcome: cited
Order 15A rr 3 and 6 of the Federal Court Rules provide respectively for what is colloquially known as "identity discovery" and "information discovery": see generally Hooper v Kirella [1999] FCA 1584 ; (1999) 96 FCR 1. I am empowered by our Rules to order identity discovery where (i) an applicant, having made reasonable inquiries, is unable to ascertain the description of a person sufficiently for the purpose of commencing a proceeding in this Court against that person; and (ii) it appears that some other person has, has had, or is likely to have knowledge of facts or possession of any document tending to assist in ascertaining who that person is. 4 Information discovery in contrast is discovery against the very person against whom relief may be sought. It is tightly circumscribed in the requirements to be met before discovery may be ordered. These are that: "(a) there is reasonable cause to believe that the applicant has or may have the right to obtain relief in the Court from a person whose description has been ascertained; (b) after making all reasonable inquiries, the applicant has not sufficient information to enable a decision to be made whether to commence a proceeding in the Court to obtain that relief; and (c) there is reasonable cause to believe that that person has or is likely to have or has had or is likely to have had possession of any document relating to the question whether the applicant has the right to obtain the relief and that inspection of the document by the applicant would assist in making the decision." 5 Common to both species of discovery is a prospective proceeding which may be commenced in this Court. Inherent in this possibility are the requirements that the proceeding will be (a) within federal jurisdiction and (b) in respect of a cause of action known to law which is not purely speculative in character and which is not devoid of prospects. There is no difficulty in this matter in relation to the former of these requirements, some at least of the prospective causes of action being said to arise under Commonwealth legislation: see Judiciary Act 1903 , s 39B(1A)(c). It is the latter requirement, which requires the identification of a possible cause of action (in this case a legal wrong done to the applicants), that is problematic. 6 It is unnecessary for me to refer in detail to the growing body of case law on preliminary discovery. It is sufficient for present purposes to refer to the following. The O 15A r 3 power to order identity discovery is not to be used in favour of a person who intends to commence merely speculative proceedings. A material factor in the exercise of the Court's discretion is the prospect of the applicant succeeding in proceedings against the person wished to be sued: Hooper v Kirella at [33]. Information discovery under O 15A r 6 is significantly limited by the conditions imposed in subpars (a), (b) and (c) of that rule. Subpar (a) requires that there be reasonable cause to believe that the applicant has or may have the right to obtain relief in the Court. While the threshold test under this subrule may be set at quite a low level: see Gull Petroleum (WA) Ltd v Tah Land Pty Ltd [2001] FCA 1531 at [59] ; the test for determining whether the applicant has a reasonable cause to have the requisite belief is an objective one: see Hooper v Kirella at [39]. Though it is not necessary to demonstrate a prima facie case, it is not enough merely to assert that there is, or is the mere possibility of, a case against the prospective respondent: Hooper v Kirella at [39]. Importantly, as Hely J observed in St George Bank Ltd v Rabo Australia Ltd (2004) 211 ALR 147 at [26]: "(d) belief requires more than mere assertion and more than suspicion or conjecture. Belief is an inclination of the mind towards assenting to, rather than rejecting a proposition. Thus it is not sufficient to point to a mere possibility. The evidence must incline the mind towards the matter or fact in question. If there is no reasonable cause to believe that one of the necessary elements of a potential cause of action exists, that would dispose of the application insofar as it is based on that cause of action: John Holland Services Pty Ltd v Terranora Group Management Pty Ltd [2004] FCA 679 ; BC200403021 at [13], [14], [17] and [73]." 125 Accordingly, I am not satisfied that the applicants have met the limiting conditions of O 15A r 6(a) for the purposes of information discovery in respect of the potential tort of misfeasance in public office. Equally I am not satisfied for the purposes of O 15A r 3 identity discovery that the prospective proceedings intended to be commenced would be other than speculative: Hooper v Kirella , at [33]. Hence this form of discovery will not be ordered. 126 I will order that the application be dismissed. I certify that the preceding one hundred and twenty-six (126) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herein of the Honourable Justice Finn. Associate: Dated: 23 January 2006 Counsel for the Applicants: Mr McDonald QC with Ms Webb QC and Mr Johnson Solicitor for the Applicants: Greg Murray Solicitors Counsel for the Respondent: Mr Howe Solicitor for the Respondent: Australian Government Solicitor Date of Hearing: 7 &amp; 8 November 2005 AustLII: Copyright Policy | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Feedback URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/FCA/2006/12.html