National Australia Bank Limited v Nautilus Insurance Pte Ltd (No 2)

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Court: Federal Court
• Judge: ALLSOP CJ
• Judgment Date: 20 September 2019
• Neutral Citation: [2019] FCA 1543
• Date: 20 September 2019

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

National Australia Bank Limited v Nautilus Insurance Pte Ltd (No 2) [2019] FCA 1543

File number:	VID 527 of 2019
Judge:	ALLSOP CJ
Date of judgment:	20 September 2019
Catchwords:	COURTS AND JUDGES – jurisdiction – where applicant initiated proceeding in Insurance List seeking declaratory relief in relation to the proper construction of policies of insurance and reinsurance – where respondents filed interlocutory applications seeking orders that the originating application be set aside pursuant to r 13.01 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth), or that the proceeding be dismissed pursuant to s 31A(2) of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth), or an order for summary judgment pursuant to r 26.01 of the Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) – whether the Court has jurisdiction to hear the underlying construction proceeding – whether there exists a matter arising under a law of the Parliament – whether the underlying construction proceeding is in respect of a matter arising under a law of the Parliament – whether declaratory relief inappropriate due to hypotheticality and/or inutility – interlocutory applications dismissed with costs
Legislation:	Australian Constitution, ss 75, 76 Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth), ss 19, 21, 22, 23, 31A Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth), ss 54, 57 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), s 39B(1A) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 63, 75 ; Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth), rr 9.21, 13.01, 16.21, 26.01
Cases cited:	Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission [1992] HCA 10; 175 CLR 564 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Edensor Nominees Pty Ltd [2001] HCA 1; 204 CLR 559 Bass v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd [1999] HCA 9; 198 CLR 334 Bateman’s Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council v The Aboriginal Community Benefit Fund Pty Ltd [1998] HCA 49; 194 CLR 247 Cacciola v Fire & All Risks Insurance Co Ltd [1971] 1 NSWLR 691 Champerslife Pty Ltd v Manojlovski [2010] NSWCA 33; 75 NSWLR 245 Coles v Wood [1981] 1 NSWLR 723 Commonwealth v BIS Cleanaway Ltd [2007] NSWSC 1075; 214 FLR 271 Commonwealth v BIS Cleanaway Ltd [2008] NSWCA 170 Croome v Tasmania [1997] HCA 5; 191 CLR 119 Crouch v Commissioner for Railways (Qld) [1985] HCA 69; 159 CLR 22 Danthanarayana v Commonwealth [2016] FCAFC 114 Delor Vue Apartments CTS 39788 v Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd [2019] FCA 639 Dey v Victorian Railways Commissioners [1949] HCA 1; 78 CLR 62 Edwards v Santos Ltd [2011] HCA 8; 242 CLR 421 Federated Engine-Drivers and Firemen’s Association of Australasia v The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd [1911] HCA 31; 12 CLR 398 Felton v Mulligan [1971] HCA 39; 124 CLR 367 Fencott v Muller [1983] HCA 12; 152 CLR 570 Forster v Jododex Australia Pty Ltd [1972] HCA 61; 127 CLR 421 FQM Australia Nickel Pty Ltd v Bullen [2011] FCAFC 30; 191 FCR 261 General Steel Industries Inc v Commissioner for Railways (NSW) [1964] HCA 69; 112 CLR 125 Henderson v Henderson (1843) 3 Hare 100; 67 ER 313 Hooper v Kirella Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 1584; 96 FCR 1 In re Judiciary and Navigation Acts [1921] HCA 20; 29 CLR 257 In re Pacific Railway Commission 32 F 241 (1887) Integrated Lighting & Ceilings Pty Ltd v Phillips Electrical Pty Ltd (1969) 90 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 693 Jager v Tolme & Runge and the London Produce Clearing House, Ltd [1916] 1 KB 939 Lewis v Green [1905] 2 Ch 340 Lohar Corporation Pty Ltd v Dibu Pty Ltd (1976) 1 BPR 97014 Moorgate Tobacco Co Ltd v Philip Morris Ltd [1980] HCA 32; 145 CLR 457 Neeta (Epping) Pty Ltd v Phillips [1974] HCA 18; 131 CLR 286 NRMA Insurance Ltd v Tatt (1989) 94 FLR 339 Palmer v Ayres [2017] HCA 5; 259 CLR 478 Philip Morris Inc v Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd [1981] HCA 7; 148 CLR 457 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd [1981] HCA 45; 147 CLR 589 QBE Insurance Ltd v Nguyen [2008] SASC 138; 100 SASR 560 Quest Rose Hill Pty Ltd v White [2010] NSWSC 939 R v Commonwealth Court of Conciliation and Arbitration; Ex parte Barrett [1945] HCA 50; 70 CLR 141 Rajbenback v Mamon [1955] 1 QB 283 Rana v Google Inc [2017] FCAFC 156; 254 FCR 1 Re Bowman [1994] 1 Qd R 251 Re McBain; Ex parte Australian Catholic Bishops Conference [2002] HCA 16; 209 CLR 372 Re Multiplex Constructions [1999] 1 Qd R 287 Re Security Projects Ltd; Re K Mart (Aust) Ltd & Roggette [1993] QSC 18 Re Wakim; Ex parte McNally [1999] HCA 27; 198 CLR 511 Russian Commercial and Industrial Bank v British Bank for Foreign Trade Ltd [1921] 2 AC 438 Schering Ltd v Stockholms Enskilda Bank Aktiebolag [1946] AC 219 Sop & Sop Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2019] FCA 102 South Australia v Victoria [1911] HCA 17; 12 CLR 667 Spencer v Commonwealth [2010] HCA 28; 241 CLR 118 Trans Realties Pty Ltd v Grbac [1975] 1 NSWLR 170 Truth About Motorways Pty Ltd v Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Management Ltd [2000] HCA 11; 200 CLR 591 Union of India v Compania Naviera Aeolus SA [1962] 1 QB 1 United Broadcasting International Pty Ltd v Turkplus Pty Ltd (No 2) [2010] FCA 1413 Unity Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd v Rocco Pezzano Pty Ltd [1998] HCA 38; 192 CLR 603 Wighams Enterprises Pty Ltd v Smith [1975] 1 NSWLR 76 Winchcombe Carson Trustee Co Ltd v Ball-Rand Pty Ltd [1974] 1 NSWLR 477
Date of hearing:	21 August 2019
Date of last submissions:	23 August 2019
Registry:	New South Wales
Division:	General Division
National Practice Area:	Commercial and Corporations
Sub-area:	Commercial Contracts, Banking, Finance and Insurance – Insurance List
Category:	Catchwords
Number of paragraphs:	175
Counsel for the Applicant:	Ms W A Harris QC with Ms S Gory
Solicitor for the Applicant:	Herbert Smith Freehills
Counsel for the First Respondent:	Ms V Whittaker SC with Mr R Pietriche
Solicitor for the First Respondent:	King & Wood Mallesons
Counsel for the Second Respondent:	Mr M Darke SC with Ms C van Proctor
Solicitor for the Second Respondent:	Kennedys
Counsel for the Third and Fourth Respondents:	Mr G Rich SC with Mr G Ng and Mr R Jedrzejczyk
Solicitor for the Third and...