Duke Group Ltd v Carver Subject: Insolvency Keywords: Australia; Foreign jurisdictions; Liquidators; Witnesses Summary: corporate insolvency; liquidators; assistance; examination of persons named in letters of request issued by Supreme Court of Australia Abstract: The liquidator of DG, a South Australian company, sought orders under the Insolvency Act 1986 s.426 for seven persons to be examined in England by an Australian judge under letters of request issued by the Australian Supreme Court as to matters arising from a 1987 takeover that DG had been involved in. C and three of the others mentioned in the letters objected to the application on the ground that they either worked, or were resident, in Poland and it would be inconvenient for them to travel to England. Held, allowing the application, that the court had discretion as to whether to accede to the letters of request. Factual errors contained in the letters did not serve to vitiate them, given their intended purpose in determining the truth. Australian law provided the most appropriate forum as all the relevant factors were closely connected with that jurisdiction and the request for assistance was validly made under Australian law, England v Smith [2001] Ch. 419 considered. England v Smith
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