Sharma by her litigation representative Sister Marie Brigid Arthur v Minister for the Environment

• Jurisdiction: Australia Federal only
• Court: Federal Court (Australia)
• Judgment Date: 27 May 2021
• Neutral Citation: [2021] FCA 560
• Date: 27 May 2021

Federal Court of Australia

Sharma by her litigation representative Sister Marie Brigid Arthur v Minister for the Environment [2021] FCA 560

File number:	VID 607 of 2020
Judgment of:	BROMBERG J
Date of judgment:	27 May 2021
Catchwords:	NEGLIGENCE – representative proceeding seeking a declaration that a duty of care be recognised and an injunction be granted restraining its breach – Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) – novel duty of care – whether the Minister for the Environment owes Australian children a duty of care when approving under s 130 and s 133 of the EPBC Act the extraction of coal from a coal mine – risk of injury from climate change – claim that CO2 emissions from coal to be extracted will contribute to increased global surface temperatures leading to extreme weather events and consequent exposure of Australian children to the increased risk of personal injury, property damage and economic loss – discussion of applicable legal principles for ascertaining whether a novel duty of care exists – salient features approach adopted – whether feared harm reasonably foreseeable – whether the Minister has control, responsibility and knowledge in relation to foreseeable harm – extent of children’s vulnerability to feared harm – whether recognised relationships between Minister and children exist including by reference to parens patriae doctrine – discussion of coherence in the law – whether imposition of liability in negligence is incoherent with statutory discretion provided to Minister under s 130 and s 133 of the EPBC Act to approve or not approve extension of coal mine – whether incoherence with principles of administrative law – whether potential liability indeterminate – whether other policy considerations tend against a duty of care being recognised – duty of care recognised but only in relation to the avoidance of personal injury to the children ; INJUNCTION – principles for grant of quia timet injunction discussed – whether reasonable apprehension of breach of duty of care established – whether extent of restraint justified – injunction refused
Legislation:	Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth) Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) Civil Laws (Wrongs) Act 2002 (ACT) Civil Liability Act 1936 (SA) Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) Civil Liability Act 2002 (Tas) Civil Liability Act 2002 (WA) Civil Liability Act 2003 (Qld) Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth)
Cases cited:	Agar v Hyde (2000) 201 CLR 552 Al Saudi Banque v Clark Pixley [1990] Ch 313 Alec Finlayson Pty Ltd v Armidale City Council (1994) 51 FCR 378 Amaca Pty Ltd v Booth (2011) 246 CLR 36 Apotex Pty Ltd v Les Laboratoires Servier (No 2) (2012) 293 ALR 272 Armidale City Council v Alec Finlayson Pty Ltd [1999] FCA 330 Attorney-General v Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum (1868) LR 4 Ch App 146 Attorney-General v Council of the Borough of Birmingham (1858) 70 ER 220 Bamford v Albert Shire Council [1998] 2 Qd R 125 Bamford v Turnley (1862) 122 ER 27 Blue Wedges Inc v Minister for Environment Heritage and the Arts (2008) 167 FCR 463 Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks (1856) 156 ER 1047 Bolton v Stone [1951] AC 850 Bonnington Castings Ltd v Wardlaw [1956] 1 All ER 615 Boynton v Gill (1640) Rolle’s Abr. Nusans, fo. 90, pl. 7 Bridgetown/Greenbushes Friends of the Forest Inc v Executive Director of Conservation and Land Management (1997) 18 WAR 102 Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 206 CLR 512 Brookfield Multiplex Ltd v Owners Corporation Strata Plan 61288 (2014) 254 CLR 185 Bryan v Maloney (1995) 182 CLR 609 CAL No 14 Pty Ltd v Motor Accidents Insurance Board (2009) 239 CLR 390 Caledonian Collieries Ltd v Speirs (1957) 97 CLR 202 Caltex Refineries (Qld) Pty Ltd v Stavar (2009) 75 NSWLR 649 Carey v Freehills [2013] FCA 954 Carnie v Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd (1995) 182 CLR 398 Cattanach v Melchior (2013) 215 CLR 1 Chapman v Hearse (1961) 106 CLR 112 Crimmins v Stevedoring Industry Finance Committee (1999) 200 CLR 1 Crossley and Sons Ltd v Lightowler [1867] LR 2 D’Orta‑Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1 Dalby v Berch (1330) Y.B. Trin. 4 Edw. III, fo. 36, pl. 26 Dansar Pty Ltd v Byron Shire Council (2014) 89 NSWLR 1 Department of Health and Community Services v JWB and SMB (1992) 175 CLR 218 (Marion’s Case) Department of Health and Community Services v JWB and SMB (1992) 175 CLR 218 Donoghue v Stevenson [1932] AC 562 Equuscorp Pty Ltd v Haxton (2012) 246 CLR 498 Esanda Finance Corporation Ltd v Peat Marwick Hungerfords (1997) 188 CLR 241 Fletcher v Rylands (1865-1866) LR 1 Ex 265 Fuller-Wilson v State of New South Wales [2018] NSWCA 218 Geddis v Proprietors of the Bann Reservoir [1878] 3 App Cas 430 Graham Barclay Oysters Pty Ltd v Ryan (2002) 211 CLR 540 Hargrave v Goldman (1963) 110 CLR 40 Heaven v Pender (1883) QBD 503 Hoffmann v Boland [2013] NSWCA 158 Hole v Barlow (1858) 4 CBNS 334 Hooper v Rogers [1975] Ch 43 Hopkins v AECOM Australia Pty Ltd (No 3) [2014] FCA 1043 Hulle v Orynge (1466) Y.B. Mich. 6 Edw. IV, fo. 7, pl. 18 (the Case of the Thorns) Hunter and New England Local Health District v McKenna (2014) 253 CLR 270 Hunter Area Health Service v Presland (2005) 63 NSWLR 22 Hurst v Queensland (No 2) [2006] FCAFC 151 Johnson Tiles Pty Ltd v Esso Australia Pty Ltd [2003] VSC 27 King v Philcox (2015) 255 CLR 304 Kleinwort Benson Ltd v Lincoln City Council (1999) 2 AC 349 Ku-ring-gai Council v Chan [2017] NSWCA 226 Makawe Pty Limited v Randwick City Council [2009] NSWCA 412 Miller v Miller (2011) 242 CLR 446 Minister for Aboriginal Affairs v Peko-Wallsend Ltd (1986) 162 CLR 24 Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Teoh (1995) 183 CLR 273 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v W157/00A (2002) 125 FCR 433 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs v Lorenzo [2005] FCAFC 13 Mitchil v Alestree (1676) 1 Vent 295 MM Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Port Stephens Council (No 7) [2012] NSWCA 417 Mount Isa Mines Ltd v Pusey (1970) 125 CLR 383 Northern Territory v GPAO (1999) 196 CLR 553 Overseas Tankship (UK) Ltd v The Miller Steamship Co [1967] AC 617 Pape v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (2009) 238 CLR 1 Parramatta City Council v Lutz (1988) 12 NSWLR 293 Perre v Apand Pty Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 180 Plaintiff M68/2015 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2016) 257 CLR 42 Plaintiff S99/2016 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2016) 243 FCR 17 Port Stephens Shire Council v Booth [2005] NSWCA 323 Precision Products...