FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v April International Marketing Services Australia Pty Ltd (No 3) [2009] FCA 1166

Federal Court Rules O 7 r 9

Humane Society International Inc v Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd [2007] FCA 124 cited

AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION v APRIL INTERNATIONAL MARKETING SERVICES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD ACN 106 134 472, APRIL FINE PAPER TRADING PTE LIMITED (SINGAPORE), ASIA PACIFIC RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS LTD (SINGAPORE), APRIL MANAGEMENT PTE LTD (SINGAPORE), KELVIN TAN, JAMES LO, DENNIS LIM, GUS CHOO, ASIA PULP & PAPER COMPANY LTD (SINGAPORE), PT INDAH KIAT PULP AND PAPER TBK (INDONESIA), PAUL GEORGE and SUNIL SOOD

NSD 2394 of 2006

BENNETT J

8 OCTOBER 2009

SYDNEY

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.     Pursuant to Order 7 rule 9 of the Federal Court Rules, personal service of:

1.1          a sealed copy of the orders of the Federal Court of Australia in these proceedings dated 28 May 2009;

1.2          a sealed copy of the amended application filed by the applicant on 1 April 2008; and

1.3          a sealed copy of the second further amended statement of claim filed by the applicant on 16 December 2008,

on the fifteenth respondent, Sunil Sood be dispensed with.

2.      Pursuant to Order 7 rule 9 of the Federal Court Rules the applicant be given leave to effect service of the documents referred to in paragraph 1 of this order in accordance with paragraph 3 of these orders.

3.      A copy of the documents referred to in paragraph 1 of this order, together with a sealed copy of this order, be served on the fifteenth respondent, Sunil Sood, by delivering a copy of the above documents, addressed to Sunil Sood:

3.1          by hand and mail to 22 Farrer Road #03-04, Singapore 268828;

3.2         by hand and mail to Raffles Place #50-01 UOB Plaza, Singapore 048624; and

3.3         by email to sunil_sood@aprilasia.com.

4.      The documents referred to in paragraph 1 of this order be deemed to be served on the fifteenth respondent, Sunil Sood upon the expiration of 7 days from the date of the events referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 of these orders.

5.      Service in accordance with this order shall be deemed good and sufficient service of the documents referred to in paragraph 1 of this order upon the fifteenth respondent, Sunil Sood.

Note:    Settlement and entry of orders is dealt with in Order 36 of the Federal Court Rules.
The text of entered orders can be located using eSearch on the Court’s website.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

1                          Order 7 rule 9 of the Federal Court Rules provides that where, for any reason, it is impractical to serve a document in the manner set out in the Rules, the Court may by motion in an existing proceeding make an ex parte order that, instead of service, such steps be taken as specified in the order for the purpose of bringing the document to the notice of the person to be served. 

2                          The applicant’s evidence establishes a residential address, a business address and an email address for Mr Sood, the person for whom it wishes to obtain orders for substituted service.  The evidence also establishes that on three separate occasions, attempts were made to serve Mr Sood personally at his residential address.  On one of those occasions there were persons at home at that residential address but when an attempt was made actually to serve the documents, the clerk serving them was told that Mr Sood himself was not at home.  The clerk did not give the documents to the person who was there as he said that he needed to give the documents to Mr Sood personally. 

3                          Order 7 rule 9 of the Rules applies to service outside the jurisdiction in addition to service within Australia.  In Humane Society International Inc v Kyodo Senpaku Kaisha Ltd [2007] FCA 124 at [8], Allsop J noted that the various meanings that can be attributed to the word ‘impractical’ include ‘practically impossible’ or ‘that (which) cannot be carried out or done’.  I am satisfied that it has been impractical to serve the documents in the manner prescribed in the Rules. 

4                          I am also satisfied that the proposed course of service, by delivering a copy of the documents both by hand and by mail to Mr Sood at the residential address at which he appears to reside and at his business address and by email at his last known email address, is appropriate for the purpose of bringing the documents to Mr Sood’s notice.  Accordingly, I make orders 1 to 5 in the notice of motion.

Associate:

Dated:         15 October 2009