Case Law[2024] ZAGPJHC 437South Africa
Van Der Merwe obo MH v Member of the Executive Council for Health and Social Development, Gauteng Provincial Government (17553/2017) [2024] ZAGPJHC 437 (4 April 2024)
Headnotes
Summary: Repudiation by litigant of agreement reached by expert witness retained by such litigant with expert in like discipline retained by the other party – good cause for repudiation required.
Judgment
begin wrapper
begin container
begin header
begin slogan-floater
end slogan-floater
- About SAFLII
About SAFLII
- Databases
Databases
- Search
Search
- Terms of Use
Terms of Use
- RSS Feeds
RSS Feeds
end header
begin main
begin center
# South Africa: South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
South Africa: South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
You are here:
SAFLII
>>
Databases
>>
South Africa: South Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg
>>
2024
>>
[2024] ZAGPJHC 437
|
Noteup
|
LawCite
sino index
## Van Der Merwe obo MH v Member of the Executive Council for Health and Social Development, Gauteng Provincial Government (17553/2017) [2024] ZAGPJHC 437 (4 April 2024)
Van Der Merwe obo MH v Member of the Executive Council for Health and Social Development, Gauteng Provincial Government (17553/2017) [2024] ZAGPJHC 437 (4 April 2024)
Download original files
PDF format
RTF format
make_database: source=/home/saflii//raw/ZAGPJHC/Data/2024_437.html
sino date 4 April 2024
FLYNOTES:
MEDICAL
NEGLIGENCE – Expert witnesses –
Joint
minutes
–
MEC
seeking to repudiate agreements reached – Claim for child
with cerebral palsy – Repudiation sought not supported
by
experts retained by MEC – No other expert evidence produced
to support departure from agreements between experts
–
Contention that experts reached agreement on matters falling
outside scope of their expertise not supported by evidence
–
MEC does not contend for new facts or information – No
evidence of new learning on subject that might be of
particular
relevance to facts – MEC failed to show good cause for
repudiation.
IN
THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
GAUTENG
LOCAL DIVISION, JOHANNESBURG
Case
Number: 17553/2017
1.
REPORTABLE:
2.
OF INTEREST TO OTHER JUDGES:
3.
REVISED:
In
the matter between:
AMELIA VAN DER
MERWE NO obo
MH
Plaintiff
and
MEMBER
OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT,
GAUTENG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
Defendant
Coram
:
Horn AJ
Heard
:
02 May 2024
Delivered
:
This judgment
was handed down electronically by circulation to the parties’
legal representatives by email. The date and time
for hand-down is
deemed to be 14h00 on 4 May 2024.
Summary
:
Repudiation by litigant of agreement reached by expert witness
retained by such litigant with expert in like discipline retained
by
the other party – good cause for repudiation required.
ORDER
1.
The defendant is permitted to repudiate the
agreement contained in paragraphs 1.2 and 1.3 of the joint minutes
compiled by Prof
Nolte and Prof Du Plessis.
2.
The application for repudiation for the remainder
of the agreements concluded between the paediatric neurologists and
nursing experts
is dismissed.
3.
The defendant is ordered to pay the cost of the
application, including the wasted costs occasioned by the matter
standing down on
29 and 30 April 2024 and the costs of 2 May 2024.
The costs shall include the cost of two counsel where so employed,
taxable on
scale C.
Such costs shall
exclude the appearance of the plaintiff’s junior counsel on the
aforesaid dates.
JUDGMENT
HORN
AJ
[1]
This judgment deals with an application by the
defendant to repudiate agreements reached between expert witnesses
retained by the
defendant with expert witnesses in like disciplines
retained by the plaintiff.
[2]
The plaintiff has instituted a claim for damages
against the defendant premised on allegations of negligence of the
latter’s
employees on the occasion of the birth on 31 January
2015 of the minor child for whom the plaintiff has been appointed as
curatrix ad litem
.
[3]
The matter had been set down as a trial of long
duration, to commence on 29 April 2024, for determination of the
question of liability.
Both sides have filed expert reports in five
disciplines, including paediatric neurology and nursing. The
paediatric neurologists
prepared a joint minute on 26 April 2023. The
nursing experts prepared their joint minute on 11 May 2023. In light
of what follows,
it is necessary to quote these minutes.
[4]
The
joint minute prepared by the paediatric neurologists provides as
follows:
[1]
“
The
experts agree with regard to the following:
1.
The minor’s brain MRI changes are indicative
of chronic evolution of mixed acute and partial prolonged hypoxic
ischaemic injury
at term. – Agree
2.
The minor has mixed cerebral palsy, epilepsy,
profound intellectual disability, contractures and scoliosis. –
Agree
3.
There exists good correlation between the minor’s
MRI brain abnormalities and type of cerebral palsy. – Agree
4.
The minor’s motor disability is severe;
Gross Motor Function Classification System V. – Agree
5.
The minor suffered from moderate neonatal
encephalopathy. – Agree
6.
There is evidence for timing of mixed acute and
partial prolonged hypoxic ischaemic injury to the intrapartum period.
HIE and Birth
asphyxia is recorded in the notes. – Agree
7.
There is no recorded evidence for hypoxic ischemic
injury in the antepartum period (time prior to delivery/labour). –
Agree
8.
There is no recorded evidence for hypoxic ischemic
injury in the postpartum period. – Agree
9.
Both experts defer to expert obstetric opinion
regarding optimal management of the antenatal and intrapartum
periods, including
foeto-maternal monitoring. – Agree
10.
Both experts defer to expert neonatal opinion
regarding optimal management of the neonatal period, including
resuscitation. –
Agree”
[5]
The
joint minute prepared by the nursing experts provides as follows:
[2]
“
Prof
D du Plessis and Prof AGW Nolte agreed on the following aspects:
1.
Pregnancy
1.1.
Ms M’s pregnancy progressed normally
according to the few records available.
1.2.
She only attended antenatal clinic three times.
1.3.
There were no maternal problems or illnesses
recorded during these visits.
1.4.
The fetus seemed to grow normally during
pregnancy, according to the symphysis-fundal height measurements
during these visits.
2.
Labour
The midwives who cared
for Ms M during her labour delivered sub-standard care in that they
did not:
2.1.
Do or record maternal and fetal observations
according to the Maternity Guidelines (2007) during active phase of
labour, as well
as the second stage of labour.
2.1.1.
The fetal heart rate was not recorded on the
partograph at all.
2.1.2.
The included CTG trace, done at 11:35 –
12.10 showed initial increased variability followed by prolonged
deceleration to below
100 bpm present which lasted longer that 3 min
between 11:50 and 11:55. This is a sign of acute hypoxia.
2.1.3.
Considering the above, the CTG should not have
been stopped but continued until the baby was born and medical
opinion obtained.
2.1.4.
Hyperstimulation of the uterus was present on the
CTG trace [5-6 contractions in 10 minutes]. This necessitates
meticulous, continuous
observation of the fetal heart rate in
response to the contractions. No observations of the fetal heart rate
were done or recorded
during this time, despite a prolonged FHR
deceleration (sic) this stage.
2.2.
Monitoring the progress of labour 2 hourly which
is standard midwifery practice and according to guidelines.
2.3.
Keep complete and accurate records of the case as
required by SANC R2488.
2.3.1.
There were no records at all after 08:00 until
birth of the baby in which case only the summary and neonatal records
was (sic) completed.
2.3.2.
The partograph was incorrectly completed, as the
latent phase observations were documented in the space allocated to
active labour.”
[6]
At the commencement of the hearing, the
defendant’s counsel handed up a notice in terms of which the
defendant indicated that
she does not admit certain portions of the
joint minutes quoted above. The notice was uploaded to Caselines at
09h23 on 29 April
2024. The plaintiff’s legal representatives
became aware of the notice 15 minutes before the commencement of the
trial.
[7]
In relation to the joint minute of the paediatric
neurologists, the notice stated that paragraph 6 of the joint minute
is not admitted.
Three grounds were advanced. First, the notice
states that there is no factual basis for the conclusion that the
hypoxic ischemic
injury occurred “in the intrapartum as agreed
by the experts”. Second, it is stated that the expert appointed
by the
defendant (“Dr Mteshana”) refers to four criteria
to be met in regard to “volpe” while the expert appointed
by the plaintiff (“Prof Solomons”) refers to three.
Third, the notice states that “the opinion of the joint minute
is based on incorrect facts”. The notice does not identify the
incorrect facts or what “volpe” means.
[8]
In relation to the joint minute of the nursing
experts, the defendant’s notice states, first, that paragraph
1.3 of the joint
minute is incorrect on the premise that Ms M was
admitted twice for “UTI” (urinary tract infection) during
the antenatal
period. Second, it is stated that the “FHR”
(foetal heart rate) was recorded at 17h00 (on 30 January 2015) with
reference
to a document in the trial bundle. This objection pertains
to paragraph 2.1.1 of the joint minute. Finally, the defendant
contends
that “the experts evidence referred is outside the
scope of the expertise of nursing sisters”. It is not apparent
from
the notice whether this objection pertains to the entire joint
minute or only to select portions thereof.
[9]
The plaintiff objected to the defendant’s
notice. Argument on the issue ensued. Before I could make a ruling,
the defendant’s
counsel requested that the matter stand down
for purposes of taking instructions. On resumption of the hearing,
the defendant’s
counsel indicated that she had received
instructions to bring a substantive application and sought the
opportunity to do so. After
the parties had agreed on times for the
exchange of papers, the matter stood down to 2 May 2024 for the
hearing of the defendant’s
application.
[10]
On the afternoon of 29 April 2024, the defendant
delivered a notice of motion and founding affidavit deposed to by the
defendant’s
attorney. In the notice of motion, the defendant
sought to repudiate the joint minutes of the paediatric neurologists
and nursing
experts in their entirety. In the founding affidavit, the
defendant’s attorney states that the reasons for the
repudiation
are set out in the notice delivered shortly before the
commencement of the hearing on 29 April 2024. He also refers to the
report
of Dr Mteshana, where she stated that the minor fulfills three
of the four criteria in “Volpe’s test”, making
intrapartum asphyxia most likely. This statement, the defendant’s
attorney seeks to place in contrast to the statement in
the relevant
joint minute, where the experts agree that there is evidence for
timing of the mixed acute and partial prolonged hypoxic
ischaemic
injury during the intrapartum period. According to the defendant’s
“There are no facts that would have caused
the Defendant’s
expert to have changed her opinion from February 2023 [when her
report was compiled] and April 2023 [when
the joint minute was
compiled]”.
[11]
The defendant’s attorney also questions the
reference by Prof Solomons to three features for a diagnosis of an
intrapartum
insult, whereas Dr Mteshana refers to four criteria. The
relevance of the distinction is not explained.
[12]
The founding affidavit makes no mention of the
joint minute compiled by the nursing experts, save for the reference
to the defendant’s
notice of 29 April 2024.
[13]
There is no indication in the defendant’s
application that Dr Mteshana and the nursing expert retained by the
defendant (“Prof
Du Plessis”) are aware of the
application or of the defendant’s desire to repudiate the
agreements reached by them
in the joint minutes. There is no evidence
that they support the application or that either of them had a change
of heart in relation
to the matters in respect of which they had
reached agreement with their counterparts.
[14]
The plaintiff opposed the application and
delivered an answering affidavit deposed to by her attorney. She took
issue with the fact
that the defendant sought to repudiate the entire
joint minutes of the experts concerned, whereas the defendant’s
position
previously was that the repudiation only pertained to the
select portions referred to above.
[15]
The plaintiff’s attorney points out that the
agreement reached between the paediatric neurologists, namely that
there is evidence
for the timing of the hypoxic ischaemic injury in
the intrapartum period, is perfectly in line with Dr Mteshana’s
report.
A confirmatory affidavit by Prof Solomons accompanied the
answering affidavit.
[16]
The plaintiff also put up a confirmatory affidavit
of Prof Nolte, the nursing expert retained by her. Prof Nolte
confirms that,
apart from the entry on the partograph at 17h00 on 30
January 2015, no other inscriptions were made regarding the foetal
heart
rate. She also opined that urinary tract infections are common
during pregnancy and confirmed that this fact has no impact on her
opinion.
[17]
Prof Nolte denies that any of the matters on which
she and Prof Du Plessis had reached agreement fall outside the scope
of their
expertise.
[18]
A replying affidavit was deposed to by the
defendant’s attorney. He objected to the matters confirmed by
Prof Nolte in the
answering affidavit as constituting matters falling
outside her expert report. The defendant’s attorney indicated
that “any
reference to issues that are falling outside the
report she has filed” should be struck out. A striking
application was not
pursued.
[19]
During the hearing of the application, the
defendant’s counsel indicated that the defendant only seeks to
repudiate the agreement
contained in paragraph 6 of the joint minutes
compiled by the paediatric neurologists and paragraphs 1.2, 1.3 and
2.1 (including
subparagraphs) of the nursing experts’ joint
minutes.
[20]
It is convenient to deal with paragraphs 1.2 and
1.3 of the minutes of Prof Nolte and Du Plessis. Those paragraphs
record that Ms
M only attended an antenatal clinic on three occasions
during her pregnancy and that no maternal problems or illnesses were
recorded
during those visits. Mr Strydom SC, for the plaintiff,
candidly conceded that Ms M had indeed attended an antenatal clinic
on two
more occasions and that she had contracted a urinary tract
infection twice during her pregnancy.
[21]
As I understood Mr Strydom SC, repudiation by the
defendant of the agreements in paragraphs 1.2 and 1.3 of the nursing
experts would
be of no moment. The plaintiff certainly did not claim
that any prejudice will result.
[22]
The repudiation of the remainder of the agreements
reached between the experts concerned was contested more strenuously.
Much of
the debate centered around whether the repudiating party is
required to show good cause for the repudiation.
[23]
Ms Makopo, for the defendant, contended that all
that is required is for the defendant to repudiate before
commencement of the trial
and to do so clearly. It is only where the
repudiation occurs after commencement of the trial, so the argument
went, that the trial
court may insist on a substantive application.
And, if adequate reasons are required for the repudiation, counsel
contended that
the defendant’s reasons were, in any event,
adequate.
[24]
Much reliance was placed by the defendant’s
counsel on the apparent change of heart by Dr Mteshana. The argument
was that,
whereas Dr Mteshana stated in her report that intrapartum
asphyxia is most likely in this case, she now states in the joint
minute
that there is evidence for the timing of the hypoxic ischeamic
injury in the intrapartum period. The latter statement, so counsel
contended, is emphatic and conclusive. The crux of the objection was
not so much the nature or description of the injury, but the
indication that it occurred “intrapartum”. The latter
indication refers to the timing of the injury.
[25]
Defendant’s counsel also vaguely suggested
during argument that the agreement reached in paragraph 6 of the
joint minute of
the paediatric neurologists, falls outside the scope
of their expertise.
[26]
Mr Strydom SC contended that the defendant is
required to show good cause for the repudiation. The fact that the
repudiation must
be clear, so it was contended, implies that it must
be done for good reason. Counsel argued that the defendant has failed
to show
good cause for the repudiation.
[27]
Mr Strydom SC also submitted that the defendant
finds itself on the horns of a dilemma, because she has retained
another expert,
Prof Bolton, who apparently disagrees with Dr
Mteshana on the timing of the minor’s brain injury. It is for
this reason,
so it was argued, that the defendant wishes to repudiate
the agreement reached by Dr Mteshana.
[28]
Both
parties referred me to
Bee
v Road Accident Fund
[3]
which
approved an earlier decision of Sutherland J, as he then was, in
Thomas
v B D Sarens (Pty) Ltd
.
[4]
[29]
The
legal position as set out in
Bee
can be
summarized as follows:
[5]
29.1.
Where certain facts are agreed between parties to
civil litigation, the court is bound by such agreement, even if it
sceptical about
those facts.
29.2.
Litigants are encouraged to reach agreement on as
many matters as possible so as to limit the issues to be tried.
Expert witnesses
should meet with a view to reaching agreement on as
much as possible so that the expert testimony can be confined to
matters truly
in dispute.
29.3.
Where experts reach agreement on matters of
opinion the court is not bound to adopt the opinion, but the
circumstances in which
it would not do so are likely to be rare.
29.4.
In the absence of clear and timeous repudiation,
the other side is entitled to proceed on the basis that matters
agreed between
the experts are not in issue.
29.5.
Litigation is not a game. Litigants should not be
encouraged to repudiate agreements for tactical reasons.
29.6.
The limits on repudiation, particularly its
timing, are matters for the trial court. The reason for insisting on
timeous repudiation
is obvious. If it were to happen during the
course of the trial, a postponement may follow. The trial court is
entitled to insist
on a substantive application.
29.7.
Unless the trial court were for any reason itself
dissatisfied with the experts’ agreement and alert the parties
to the need
to adduce evidence on the agreed material, the trial
court would be bound, and certainly entitled, to accept matters
agreed by
the experts.
[30]
In
Bee
,
the Supreme Court of Appeal expressly left open the question of
whether the repudiating party should show good cause for the
repudiation.
[31]
There
are two other decisions dealing with the question of good cause in
the present context. In the decision of the Full Court
in
M
on behalf of L v Member of the Executive Council for Health: Gauteng
Provincial Government
[6]
the
facts were, briefly stated, these: On the eve of the trial, the
defendant produced a new expert report of a paediatric neurologist
(Prof Smuts), who was not previously involved in the case. She took
issue with almost every material agreement reached between
the
paediatric neurologists previously retained by the parties. In the
result, a new joint minute was compiled by the three experts,
which
purported to replace all previous joint minutes. Writing unanimously
for the Court, Wilson AJ, as he then was, concluded
as follows:
[7]
“
In
my view, however, Professor Smuts’ evidence should not have
been admitted, because it sought impermissibly to undo agreements
previously reached by the parties’ experts. In the
circumstances of this case, those agreements were binding on the
parties,
and on the trial court.”
[32]
In the event, the Full Court found that the
repudiation was neither timeous nor clear. But the Court went
further:
“
In
any event, the time has come to require more than clear and timeous
repudiation of expert agreements before the trial court can
disregard
them.”
[8]
“
There
will no doubt be difficult cases in which, having accepted an agreed
fact as true, a party will in good faith wish to change
tack, perhaps
because of the emergence of a series of factors or complications
which were not considered by the experts previously,
or because of
new information about the qualifications or expertise of a particular
expert, or because of the emergence of new
learning on a subject that
might be particularly relevant to the facts at hand. The list is not
closed. There may be a variety
of other reasons for re-visiting
expert agreements, capable of motivation by one of the parties.”
[9]
However,
given the importance of expert agreements, their repudiation should,
in my view, be rare. When necessary, it should be
motivated, on
application to the trial court, and that application should be
granted on good cause shown. In seeking to show good
cause, a party
ought, at the very least, identify the specific agreements sought to
be repudiated, and the facts to which they
relate; to set out,
clearly and succinctly, the new facts sought to be proved; to explain
why those facts are so material to the
issues at trial that justify
the undoing of the relevant expert agreements; and to demonstrate
that the need to introduce those
facts overcomes any prejudice caused
to any other party by setting aside the expert agreements already
reached.”
[10]
[33]
The
Full Court’s decision went on appeal to the Supreme Court of
Appeal.
[11]
That
court overturned the Full Court’s decision on a different
point, but endorsed the Full Court’s reasoning quoted
above in
the following terms:
“
Prof
Smuts’ evidence led to revised joint minutes of other experts.
Her evidence indeed impacted on issues which had been
agreed on
between the experts…”
[12]
“
We
agree that the trial court should not have allowed Prof Smuts’
evidence without a substantive application setting out the
factors on
which it could properly exercise its discretion.”
[13]
[34]
The current legal position is thus that a party
who wishes to repudiate an agreement reached by an expert witness
retained by such
party, must show good cause. And for good reason.
Pre-trial and case management procedures aimed at limiting issues in
dispute
would be rendered entirely useless if it were open to the
parties to willy-nilly repudiate such an agreement timeously and
clearly,
but without good reason.
[35]
The question is therefore whether the defendant in
the present case has shown good cause for repudiating the agreements
between
the paediatric neurologists and nursing experts. In assessing
this question, the following are material considerations:
35.1.
The repudiation sought is not supported by the
experts retained by the defendant (Dr Mteshana and Prof Du Plessis).
There is no
suggestion that they wish to repudiate their agreements
or that they have changed their stance, as was the case with the
defendant’s
witness in
Bee
.
The submission by the defendant’s counsel that Dr Mteshana’s
view as expressed in the joint minutes differs from the
view
expressed in her report, is wrong. If anything, the view expressed in
Dr Mteshana’s report is more emphatic than the
view expressed
in the joint minutes.
35.2.
The defendant has not produced other expert
evidence to support or motivate a departure from the agreements
between the experts,
as was the case in
M
on behalf of L v Member of the Executive Council for Health: Gauteng
Provincial Government.
35.3.
Even if the defendant’s experts did have a
change of heart, or other conflicting expert evidence were procured,
this will
not always carry the day for the repudiating party, as is
demonstrated by
Bee
and
M on behalf of L
.
35.4.
The defendant’s contention that the experts
in question reached agreement on matters falling outside the scope of
their expertise,
is not supported by evidence. In relation to the
paediatric neurologists, the issue was raised for the first time
during argument.
In relation to the nursing experts, the issue is
raised in the notice delivered on the morning of trial. The notice is
not evidence.
To the extent that the defendant’s attorney
confirmed the notice under oath in his founding affidavit, the ambit
of the expertise
of Prof Nolte and Prof Du Plessis is not a matter
which would ordinarily fall within the personal knowledge of an
attorney. Here
the attorney did not establish a factual basis to
conclude otherwise. The only direct evidence on the point is from
Prof Nolte,
which points the other way.
35.5.
The defendant says that the agreement between the
paediatric neurologists is based on incorrect facts or has no factual
basis. The
facts upon which the defendant relies for this contention
are not identified at all. It is therefore not possible to assess the
substance of the submission or whether those facts are within the
personal knowledge of the deponent to the founding affidavit.
And the
opposing party will naturally find it difficult to respond
meaningfully to such a vague allegation.
35.6.
Save for two additional visits to an antenatal
clinic during Ms M’s pregnancy and the fact that she had
contracted a urinary
tract infection twice, the defendant does not
contend for new facts or information.
35.7.
There is no evidence of new learning on a subject
that might be of particular relevance to the facts at hand.
[36]
Premised on the candid concession made by Mr
Strydom SC, as recorded earlier in this judgment, in relation to
paragraphs 1.2 and
1.3 of the nursing experts’ joint minute, I
will allow the defendant to repudiate the agreement recorded in those
paragraphs.
[37]
In relation to paragraph 2.1.1 of the joint minute
compiled by the nursing experts (that the foetal heart rate was not
recorded
on the partograph at all) counsel for the plaintiff
illustrated that the recording at 17h00, referred to in the
defendant’s
notice, was on the previous day (30 January 2015).
The defendant’s counsel did not contend otherwise. In the
answering affidavit,
Prof Nolte acknowledged that recording, but
confirms that it has no impact on the statement contained in the
joint minute. As stated,
there is no evidence from Prof Du Plessis to
dispute this. In any event, the defendant does not explain how, if at
all, the recording
at 17h00 on the previous day is of any relevance.
[38]
The repudiation sought in respect the remainder of
the agreements reached between the experts, to wit paragraph 6 of the
paediatric
joint minutes and paragraph 2.1 (including sub-paragraphs)
of the nursing experts’ joint minute, cannot be allowed. The
defendant
has failed to show good cause for the repudiation.
[39]
It is
necessary to comment on the timing of the repudiation. In
Thomas
,
[14]
it was
held that the repudiation must, at the latest, occur at the outset of
the trial, but to do so at such a late stage is undesirable
because
it may provoke delay.
Bee
left
the timing of the repudiation to the trial court. In the present
case, at the parties’ request, the matter was allocated
as a
trial of long duration. This request, no doubt, was motivated, at
least in part, by the evidence that the parties anticipated
to lead.
The matter was certified as trial ready on 30 May 2023. By then, the
joint minutes here in question were available to
the parties. There
is no indication that anything happened between 30 May 2023 and 29
April 2024, when the trial was due to commence,
that warranted
repudiation on the morning of trial. The fact that the defendant’s
counsel telephonically informed the plaintiff’s
counsel on the
afternoon of Sunday, 28 April 2024 the defendant wishes to repudiate
a portion of the joint minute of the paediatric
neurologists, does
not make it any better.
[40]
As for costs, the defendant achieved a limited
measure of success. The plaintiff, on the other hand, achieved
substantial success
in opposing the application. Also, it will be
recalled that the defendant initially sought to repudiate the joint
minutes in question
in their entirety. The plaintiff’s
opposition to such a broad repudiation was entirely warranted. In any
event, the defendant,
in seeking to repudiate agreements reached by
experts retained by her, seeks an indulgence. In such circumstances,
unless opposition
is unreasonable (it was not in this case), the
defendant should pay the costs of the application.
[41]
I consider the matter to be one of considerable
complexity. It may be so that the defendant’s application,
viewed on its own,
is less complex. But the plaintiff’s counsel
was not briefed on 29 April 2024 to oppose an application. He was
briefed on
trial. The application came later. In my view scale C is
the appropriate scale for costs in respect of counsel.
[42]
The plaintiff sought punitive costs. Notice
thereof was only given to the defendant on the morning of 2 May 2024.
Despite the timing
of the notice, I am not inclined to grant punitive
costs. The application is rather novel and I have been unable to find
earlier
decisions where similar applications have been made. The time
may well come in future where late repudiations (or attempted
repudiation)
attracts punitive costs, depending on the facts and
circumstances of the particular case.
[43]
I therefore make the following order:
1.
The defendant is permitted to repudiate the
agreement contained in paragraphs 1.2 and 1.3 of the joint minutes
compiled by Prof
Nolte and Prof Du Plessis.
2.
The application for repudiation for the remainder
of the agreements concluded between the paediatric neurologists and
nursing experts
is dismissed.
3.
The defendant is ordered to pay the cost of the
application, including the wasted costs occasioned by the matter
standing down on
29 and 30 April 2024 and the costs of 2 May 2024.
The costs shall include the cost of two counsel where so employed,
taxable on
scale C.
Such costs shall
exclude the appearance of the plaintiff’s junior counsel on the
aforesaid dates.
N
J HORN
ACTING
JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT
GAUTENG
DIVISION, JOHANNESBURG
Date
of hearing:
2 May
2024
Date
of judgment:
4 May
2024
Counsel
for the Defendant/Applicant:
N
Makopo
Instructed
by the State Attorney
Counsel
for the Plaintiff/Respondent:
G
Strydom SC
Instructed
by MED Attorneys
[1]
The
name of the minor child has been substituted with “the minor”.
[2]
The
name of the minor’s mother has been substituted with “Ms
M”.
[3]
2018 (4) SA 366 (SCA)
[4]
2012
JDR 1711 (GSJ)
[5]
At
para [64] to [73]
[6]
2021
JDR 2485 (GJ)
[7]
At
para [29]
[8]
At
para [36]
[9]
At
para [37]
[10]
At
para [38]
[11]
Member
of the Executive Council of Health and Social Development, Gauteng
Provincial Government v FBM (obo LPM) 2024 JDR 0950
(SCA)
[12]
At para [34]
[13]
At
para [35]
[14]
2012
JDR 1711 (GSJ) at para [11]
sino noindex
make_database footer start
Similar Cases
Van Der Heever and Another v Bronx Mining And Investment (Pty) Ltd (2021/29817) [2024] ZAGPJHC 636 (10 July 2024)
[2024] ZAGPJHC 636High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)100% similar
Van Der Merwe and Another v Basson and Others (2019/39063) [2024] ZAGPJHC 659 (11 June 2024)
[2024] ZAGPJHC 659High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)100% similar
Van der Merwe v Road Accident Fund (2019/43653) [2023] ZAGPJHC 168 (27 February 2023)
[2023] ZAGPJHC 168High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)100% similar
Van Der Horst and Another v Parreira and Another (2021/10867) [2023] ZAGPJHC 639 (7 June 2023)
[2023] ZAGPJHC 639High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)100% similar
Van Der Molen v South African Civil Aviation Authority (57741/2021 ; 57742/2021) [2023] ZAGPJHC 988 (5 September 2023)
[2023] ZAGPJHC 988High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Johannesburg)100% similar