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Australia Leading Case strike out and summary judgment

Spencer v Commonwealth

(2010) 241 CLR 118
JurisdictionAustralia
CourtHigh Court of Australia
Year2010
StatusBinding authority

Summary

A claim should only be summarily dismissed if it is so obviously untenable that it cannot possibly succeed, reflecting a high threshold for such relief.

Key Principle

summary dismissal; claim must be so obviously untenable that it cannot possibly succeed; high threshold

Area of Law

procedure

Related Cases

Getswift Ltd v Webb (2022) 276 CLR 553

High Court of Australia held there is no power to make a common fund order in favour of litigation funders at the interlocutory stage of a class action.

UBS AG v Tyne (2018) 265 CLR 77

Anshun estoppel bars relitigation where it was unreasonable not to raise the issue in earlier proceedings; re-litigation may also constitute abuse of process.

Palmer v Ayres (2017) 259 CLR 478

High Court of Australia held the reflective loss principle (Prudential Assurance rule) does not apply in Australia, permitting shareholders to recover losses independently of the company.

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