Case: LMI Australasia Pty Ltd v Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 688 ; (2001) 53 NSWLR 31
Outcome: referred to
In J D Heydon, Cross on Evidence (7 th ed, 2004) page 476, the following passage appears (footnotes omitted): 'The limits of one restriction on the form of testimony should be noted. Witnesses are commonly interrupted as they endeavour to recount conversations in indirect speech, and urged to give the actual words used. This is a counsel of virtue, but it is questionable whether it is a rule of law. A witness may give the witness's best recollection of the substance, effect or purport of what was said, even though the exact words cannot be recollected, and the witness may also recount the impression made on the witness by whatever words were used. If so, it is hard to see why witnesses must be compelled into uttering untruths on oath by giving a form of words in direct speech with which they are not happy and which they cannot actually recollect in preference to their own words in indirect speech, so long as mere conclusions are avoided. "The rule that evidence of conversations shall be given in direct speech is, in Australia a rule of practice rather than of law; a practice that is probably now disregarded as often as it is followed". This is particularly so where the conversations took place a long time ago. Similarly, there is no provision in the Cth and NSW: Evidence Acts 1995 or the Tas: Evidence Act 2001 which makes inadmissible evidence of a conversation given in indirect speech, though the possibility of discretionary rejection under s 135 is available.' See also, LMI Australasia Pty Ltd v Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 688 ; (2001) 53 NSWLR 31 at [8] - [9] . 82 In my opinion, by and large the relevant paragraphs fall within the second form referred to above. It would appear that the Federal Magistrate considered that the paragraphs fell within the third form (see his reference to a 'summary of the conversation') and, in so doing, in my respectful opinion, he erred. No doubt there appear to be one or two objectionable passages in the relevant paragraphs and I refer, for example, to the reference to the respondent bragging. Furthermore, the evidence is clearly only admissible against the respondent and is not admissible to prove Mr Macks' state of mind. Subject to those considerations, I think the evidence in the relevant paragraphs falls within the second form identified above and the only question is whether it should have been excluded because the appellant had not established by express evidence that Mr Gawronski could not give the evidence in direct speech. It would seem that that was not the basis upon which the Federal Magistrate excluded the evidence but it is a matter that needs to be considered. 83 In my opinion, there is a rule of practice at common law that requires a witness to recount the actual words used in a conversation if he or she is able to do that: Commonwealth of Australia v Riley (supra); LMI Australasia Pty Ltd v Baulderstone Hornibrook Pty Ltd (supra); J H Wigmore, 3 Wigmore on Evidence SS766 (Chadbourn rev 1970). If the witness is unable to recall the actual words used, he or she can give evidence of the substance or effect of what was said. A witness might say he or she cannot remember the actual words used. I think that as a matter of practice it is also open to the Court to infer that that is the case. I would be disposed to draw that inference in the case of the relevant paragraphs in Mr Gawronski's affidavit bearing in mind the lapse of time between the conversation and the swearing of the affidavit, the apparent length and complexity of the conversation and the fact that an actual word used is from time to time identified by quotation marks. However, I do not need to finally determine the point because I think the evidence is admissible by reason of the provisions of the Evidence Act 1995 (Cth).