Formal matters
41 It is submitted that:
"… there was not evidence before His Honour that the alleged creditor's petition was in compliance with form 150 and Order 77, subrule 16(1) and that McAndrew verified paras 1, 3 and 4 of the Petition Q7022/02".
42 Spender J dealt with these matters at [15] when he found:
"The creditors' petition is in compliance with form 150 and O 77, Subrule 16(1) of the Federal Court Rules. The matters in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of the creditors' petition have been verified by the affidavit of Colin McAndrew, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Griffith University sworn 18 February 2003. Griffith University is one of the joint creditors. All of the other joint creditors are, or were, in the employ of Griffith University."
43 We observe that Mr McAndrew also verified par 4 of the petition. The appellant has not sought to identify any specific error in those findings.
44 At [16], his Honour continued:
"It is convenient if I deal now with one of Mr Dudzinski's contentions, namely, that Minter Ellison did not have authority of all the creditors petitioning for his sequestration. Mr Edward James Goodwin, a solicitor with the firm of Minter Ellison, has given sworn evidence that he had written instructions from each of the joint petitioning creditors to pursue these bankruptcy proceedings, and I accept that that is so. I note s 308 of the Act, which provides for the usual rule concerning agency as follows:
"Subject to this Act, for the purposes of this Act:
…
(d) any person may act by his or her agent duly authorised in that behalf." "
45 Once again the appellant seeks to re-ventilate this question without indicating the respect in which he alleges error.
46 An associated ground is raised in par 3.11 of the amended notice of appeal. It seems to be suggested that because Griffith University may have paid the costs of the appeal which are the subject-matter of the bankruptcy notice, it is the true creditor and the other respondents are therefore not competent to present the petition. It seems unlikely that the addition of unnecessary joint petitioners could in any way have affected the validity of the proceedings. At most it may have been necessary to amend the petition. However the true point is that the costs order was made in favour of all of the respondents. It does not matter that they may have made some private arrangement as to how the costs were to be met as amongst themselves.
47 A further irregularity is said to be that a solicitor signed the petition on behalf of the petitioning creditors. Spender J rejected this argument, citing an earlier decision of his own in that regard, namely Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd v Hubner [1999] FCA 1346 at [38]. Subsection 47(1A) requires that a petition be in any form prescribed by the rules of court. Order 77 subrule 16(1) provides that a petition shall be in the form identified as "Form 150". The form itself contemplates signature by a solicitor. There is nothing in this ground. Paragraph 3.12(D) of the amended notice of appeal asserts that one of the joint creditors has "caused issuing of the petition". As his Honour pointed out, the relevant solicitor swore that he had written instructions from all of the petitioning creditors. There is nothing in this point.
48 In par 5 of the appellant's outline he claims that the petitioning creditors failed to comply with O 77 r 18. That rule requires that the affidavit verifying the petition state whether an application has been made for an order setting aside the bankruptcy notice or to extend time for compliance, and whether any such application has been finally decided. In the present case, Edwin James Goodwin swore that "An application in relation to the bankruptcy notice has been made. However, the application has been dismissed." In Mr McAndrew's affidavit verifying pars 1 - 4 of the petition, he swore in par 3 that an application had been made seeking orders setting aside the bankruptcy notice and extending time for compliance with it. In par 6 he swore that Spender J had dismissed the application, and in par 12 he swore thatthe Full Court had dismissed an appeal from that order. The relevant orders were exhibited as required by O 77 subr 18(3). There is nothing in this point.
49 The appellant also makes three points as to conduct subsequent to the making of the sequestration order. Paragraphs 8, 9 and 10 of the outline are as follows:
"(8) The applicants (alleged) creditor's lawyers failed to advise in writing the official trustee on 20/2/2003 of the fact that the sequestration order was made Q7022/02 on that day by Spender J and,
(9) The applicants (alleged) creditor's lawyers failed to enter the order Q7022/02 of 20/2/2003 in accordance with Form 152, within 1 dayafter the order was made and what is a mandatory requirement of 77, para 21(b).
(10) The applicant creditor's lawyers filed (sic) to enter on the same day of sequestration order in accordance with form 152, ie within one day after the order was made."
50 There is no admissible evidence to support these assertions. In any event, there is no reason to believe that the validity of the order made by Spender J was dependent upon compliance by the respondents' solicitors with the provisions of O 77 r 21.
51 The appeal should be dismissed with costs.
I certify that the preceding fifty-one (51) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment herein of The Court.