Plaintiff v Defendant [2025] VSC 543 | Case summary

Supreme Court of Victoria|2025-09-04|Before: Goulden AsJ

For the reasons set out above, I am satisfied that the evidence adduced by the plaintiff proves, on the balance of probabilities, that Carmelo is her father. I will accordingly declare that Carmelo is the plaintiff's father pursuant to s 10 of the SOC Act. I will also make an order directing the Registrar, under s 43 of the BDM Act, to correct the information on the Register by deleting particulars that identify Mr Tesoriero as the plaintiff's father, and by adding particulars that identify Carmelo as the father of the plaintiff.
The plaintiff will bear the costs of the proceeding.
The plaintiff is requested to provide a draft form of order to give effect to this judgment.

[1] Order of Lorenz JR in Ciavarella v Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria (Supreme Court of Victoria, S ECI 2024 05429, 28 November 2024) .

[3] Briginshaw v Briginshaw [1938] HCA 34; (1938) 60 CLR 336.

[5] Re the Estate of Ronald Della Vedova [2012] VSC 341, [20]; State Trustees Limited v Valentin Jeklar & Ors: IMO the estate of Franc Jeklar, deceased [2019] VSC 267, [61]-[62] ('Jeklar'); Re the Estate of Leslie Norman John Sholl [2024] VSC 536, [36].

[6] Exhibit AC-2, labelled as such in the substantive part of the First Ciavarella Affidavit is incorrectly labelled as CV-2 on the exhibit sheet. All the exhibit sheets to the First Ciavarella Affidavit contain a similar error.

[7] The proceeding numbered S CI 2018 00347 between Antonia Ciavarella and Maria De Vito (in her capacity as Executor of the estate of Rosaria Giaquinta).

[8] A party seeking to use documents relied upon in the first proceeding, for the purposes of the second proceeding, must seek a release from the implied undertaking by making an application for release in the first proceeding: Crest Homes Plc v Marks [1987] 1 AC 829; Holpitt Pty Ltd v Varimu Pty Ltd (1991) 29 FCR 576, 577; A_shby v Slipper (No 2)_ [2016] FCA 550; (2016) 343 ALR 351, 353 [9].

[10] First Ciavarella Affidavit [11], Exhibit AC-4.

[11] Affidavit of Giovanni Di Benedetto affirmed on 4 December 2024, [12] ('Di Benedetto Affidavit').

[12] Affidavit of Antonietta Starvaggi affirmed on 20 December 2024, [17] ('Starvaggi Affidavit') .

[15] Quintano v BW Rose Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 1012, [6].

[17] First Ciavarella Affidavit, Exhibit AC-4.

[18] First Ciavarella Affidavit, Exhibit AC-4, 71.

[19] Reference to the making of the comment is not a hearsay use of the contents of the IAC Transcript.

[20] First Ciavarella Affidavit [13].

[22] First Ciavarella Affidavit [12].

[23] First Ciavarella Affidavit [13].

[24] Starvaggi Affidavit [10], [12].

[26] First Ciavarella Affidavit [21].

Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996

Births Deaths and Marriages Act 1958

Plaintiff v Defendant

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