McHale v Watson [1966] HCA 13; (1966) 115 CLR 199 (7 March 1966) HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA McHALE v. WATSON [1966] HCA 13; (1966) 115 CLR 199 Negligence High Court of Australia McTiernan A.C.J. Salient features analysis • The test for RF is a necessary step, but not wholly sufficient, to establish a DoC where there is no settled law; must also consider salient features of the case (Sullivan v Moody). Is the ‘loss’ indeed properly regarded as ‘ life Previous Previous post: Balmain New Ferry Co v Robertson (1906) 4 CLR 379 Next Next post: Chaudhary v Prabakhar (1989) 1 W.L.R 29 Keep up to date with Law Case Summaries! In this case, the Court held unanimously in favour of Peter’s client and awarded costs for domestic services provided to her by her husband where he was the driver of the vehicle in which his wife was injured. inCattanach v Melchior (‘Cattanach’)16 the High Court confi rmed that the past and future costs of raising and maintaining a child were recoverable.17 The parents’ relevant damage was ‘the expenditure that they have incurred or will 10 Ahern v Moore [2013] 1 IR The Court of Appeal upheld the finding of negligence against Dr Cattanach and the conclusion that his It compares two judgments, from the House of Lords and from the Australian High Court, reaching opposite results where negligent medical errors v. Nakaseke District Ntsels v. Member of the Executive Council for Health Henry Gray (1825–1861). Salient feature Explanation Case See the significant High Court decision, Kars v Kars (1996) 187 CLR 354; [1996] HCA 37. 2007] Tort Law, Policy and the High Court of Australia 571 Cattanach v Melchior is by now the more well known of the cases, and so may be briefly treated.Harriton and Waller both involve three questions. 47. Case Example Cattanach v Melchoir (2003) 215 CLR 1 Wrongful birth (conception) case Claim was that doctor failed to advise risk of failed sterilisation Patient has an unwanted child Question to whether doctor should pay for failure to properly advise Anatomy of the Human Body. Cattanach v Melchior - [2003] HCA 38 - Cattanach v Melchior (16 July 2003) - [2003] HCA 38 (16 July 2003) (Gleeson CJ,McHugh, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Callinan and Heydon JJ) - 215 CLR 1; 77 ALJR 1312; 199 ALR 131 Date: 16 July 2003 Bench: Gleeson CJ The third was that an available procedure … was likely to disclose the existence of a functioning fallopian tube. Mr and Mrs Melchior, satisfied with the size of their family, decided to stop having more children. v. Superclinics and Ors. Cattanach v Melchior 2 sterilisation procedure. This was the case in Waller v James, a wrongful life case handed down at the same time as Harriton. By a six to one majority the HCA dismissed the plaintiff’s claim. Cattanach v Melchior [2003] HCA 38; (2003) 215 CLR 1, This was a significant case decided in the High Court of Australia regarding the tort of negligence in a medical context. 9 See Cattanach v Melchior (2003) 215 CLR 1, which allowed damages for wrongful birth, including the ordinary costs of raising the child to maturity, although those costs are now excluded by state legislation: see Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 71; Civil Liability Act 2003 LAW2202 Exam Summary Notes Matt Jarrett 7 2.2. Young provides a good overview of the High Court’s decision.10 The summary of the various judgments in Cattanach It was held by a majority of the High Court (Gleeson CJ, Hayne and Heydon JJ dissenting) that the negligent doctor could be held responsible for the costs of raising and maintaining a healthy child. 6 Cattanach v Melchior (2003) 215 CLR 1 (‘Cattanach’). (Figs. The mother's rubella was not diagnosed during her 7 Harriton v Stephens (2006) 226 CLR 52 (‘ Harriton ’). Blomley v Ryan [1956] - This case demonstrates how applying the existing rule to a new set of facts = rule develops ... (Kirby J in Cattanach v Melchior, 2003). Buckley was the president of the League. Title Microsoft Word - Sterilisation case.doc Author cgrigg Created Date 9/3/2003 3:50:12 AM First, how is the loss in a ‘wrongful life’ case to be characterised? Case Notes Case Note: AED v Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages [2019] QSC 287 – Discharging adoption in “exceptional circumstances” under section 219(1)(c) of the Adoption Act 2009 Case Note: Logan City Council v Brookes [2020] QDC 24 1. In that case, ... , which were recognised as valid by the High Court in Cattanach v Melchior. The divergent results reached in McFarlane v Tayside and Cattanach v Melchior stem, to a certain extent, from different views of the role of these considerations in the grant of damages. Summary of Decision In McHale v Watson, the appellant, Susan McHale, had sued the respondent, Barry Watson, for negligence for the act of throwing a piece of metal that hit and permanently destroyed vision in one eye. CRENNAN J. their submissions, Mr and Mrs Waller cited the High Court case of Cattanach v Melchior.2 Cattanach v Melchior concerned a wrongful birth following a failed sterilisation procedure in which the High Court found that the relevant harm or damage caused by the3 1 The main issue is whether the appellant/child who In Cattanach v Melchior a majority of the High Court of Australia held that damages for wrongful birth can include compensation for the cost of raising a healthy child. II CATTANACH V MELCHIOR The Melchiors, deciding that they had completed their family with two children, agreed that Mrs Melchior should undergo a tubal ligation, to be performed by Dr Cattanach. 1918. Brodie v Singleton Shire Council - [2001] HCA 29 - Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (31 May 2001) - [2001] HCA 29 (31 May 2001) (Gleeson CJ,Gaudron, McHugh, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne and Callinan JJ) - 206 CLR 512; 75 ALJR 992; 180 ALR 145; 114 LGERA 235 He was a member of the Balmain Club which played matches organised by the NSWRL. Any information contained in this case summary does not constitute legal advice and should be treated as educational content only. Cojocaru v. British Columbia Women’s Hospital and Health Centre CES and Anr. Waller v James (2006) HCA 15, a case with similar facts, was heard at the same time. The High Court Decision in Cattanach v Melchior The High Court in Cattanch v Melchior, by a majority of 4-3, dismissed the defendants appeal. Case: Kars v Kars (1996) 187 CLR 354 – damages awarded for cost of caring for disabled P; where tortfeasor also provides gratuitous services Facts: parties were husband and wife.P wife was a passenger in a motor vehicle driven by D husband which left the road and collided with a power pole. (1), Kitto(2), Menzies(3) and Owen(4) JJ. Harriton v Stephens, was a decision of the High Court of Australia handed down on 9 May 2006, in which the court dismissed a "wrongful life" claim brought by a disabled woman seeking the right to compensation for being born after negligent medical advice that resulted in her mother's pregnancy not being terminated. Brodie v Singleton Shire Council (2001) 180 ALR 145 This case considered the issue of nuisance and negligence and whether or not a statutory authority was immune from an action for injury on a bridge that they had not repaired. [some footnotes in whole or part omitted] The issues 216. He understood her to have had her right fallopian tube removed during … Cattanach, a similar case heard by the High Court of Australia,8 revolved mainly around the same issues. Case Harriton v Stephens (2006) 226 CLR 52 Waller v James; Waller v Hoolahan (2006) 226 CLR 136 Summary Facts In Harriton v Stephens, a child (Alexia Harriton) was born suffering severe congenital disabilities following her mother having contracted the rubella virus while pregnant. This is a chapter from Herring & Goold, eds, Landmark Cases in Medical Law (Hart, 2015) (forthcoming). Case 4866/2009 The Center for Health, Human Rights and Development & Ors. Harriton v Stephens 2 immunity and which would offer no legal deterrent to professional carelessness or even professional irresponsibility.] Buckley v Tutty (1971) 125 CLR 353 Facts Tutty was a professional footballer. 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