| Federal Court of Australia | ![]() |
| Practice Notes issued by the Chief Justice |
| CM 11 - Search Orders aka "Anton Piller Orders" |
| Status: | Revoked |
| Date issued: | 25 September 2009 |
| Date revoked: | 1 January 2010 |
| Version history: |
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1. This Practice Note supplements Order 25B relating to search orders (also known as Anton Piller orders, after Anton Piller KG v Manufacturing Processes Ltd [1976] Ch 55).
2. This Practice Note addresses (among other things) the Court’s usual practice relating to the making of a search order and the usual terms of such an order. While a standard practice has benefits, this Practice Note and the example form of order annexed to it do not, and can not, limit the judicial discretion to make such order as is appropriate in the circumstances of the particular case.
3. Words and expressions in this Practice Note that are defined in Order 25B have the meanings given to them in that Order.
4. Ordinarily, a search order is made ex parte and compels the respondent to permit persons specified in the order (‘search party’) to enter premises and to search for, inspect, copy and remove the things described in the order. The order is designed to preserve important evidence pending the hearing and determination of the applicant’s claim in a proceeding brought or to be brought by the applicant against the respondent or against another person. The order is an extraordinary remedy in that it is intrusive, potentially disruptive, and made ex parte and prior to judgment.
5. An example form of ex parte search order is annexed to this Practice Note (the footnotes and references to footnotes in the example form should not form part of the order as made). The example form may be adapted to meet the circumstances of the particular case. It contains provisions which are aimed at achieving the permissible objectives of a search order, while minimising the potential for disruption or damage to the respondent and for abuse of the Court’s process.
6. The search party must include an independent solicitor who will supervise the search and a solicitor or solicitors representing the applicant. It may be necessary that it include other persons, such as an independent computer expert, and a person able to identify things being searched for if difficulties of identification may arise. Ordinarily, the search party should not include the applicant or the applicant’s directors, officers, employees or partners or any other person associated with the applicant (other than the applicant’s solicitor).
7. The order should be clear about the maximum number of persons permitted to be in the search party. The number of people in the search party should be as small as is reasonably practicable. The example form contemplates that they will be named in the order. This is desirable but if it is not possible the order should at least give a description of the class of person who will be there (e.g. ‘one solicitor employed by A, B and Co’).
8. The affidavits in support of an application for a search order should include the following information:
(a) a description of the things or the categories of things, in relation to which the order is sought;
(b) the address or location of any premises in relation to which the order is sought and whether they are private or business premises;
(c) why the order is sought, including why there is a real possibility that the things to be searched for will be destroyed or otherwise made unavailable for use in evidence before the court unless the order is made;
(d) the prejudice, loss or damage likely to be suffered by the applicant if the order is not made;
(e) the name, address, firm, and commercial litigation experience of an independent solicitor, who consents to being appointed to serve the order, supervise its execution, and do such other things as the Court considers appropriate; and
(f) if the premises to be searched are or include residential premises, whether or not the applicant believes that the only occupant of the premises is likely to be:
(i) a female; or
(ii) a child under the age of 18; or
(iii) any other person (‘vulnerable person’) that a reasonable person would consider to be in a position of vulnerability because of that person’s age, mental capacity, infirmity or English language ability; or
(iv) any combination of (i), (ii) and (iii), and any one or more of such persons.
9. If it is envisaged that specialised computer expertise may be required to search the respondent’s computers for documents, or if the respondent’s computers are to be imaged (i.e. hard drives are to be copied wholesale, thereby reproducing documents referred to in the order and other documents indiscriminately), special provision will need to be made, and an independent computer specialist will need to be appointed who should be required to give undertakings to the Court.
10. The applicant’s solicitor must undertake to the Court to pay the reasonable costs and disbursements of the independent solicitor and of any independent computer expert.
11. The independent solicitor is an important safeguard against abuse of the order. The independent solicitor must not be a member or employee of the applicant’s firm of solicitors. The independent solicitor should be a solicitor experienced in commercial litigation, preferably in the execution of search orders. The Law Society/Institute has been requested to maintain a list of solicitors who have indicated willingness to be appointed as an independent solicitor for the purpose of executing search orders, but it is not only persons on such a list who may be appointed. The responsibilities of the independent solicitor are important and ordinarily include the following:
(a) serve the order, the application for it, the affidavits relied on in support of the application, and the originating process;
(b) offer to explain, and, if the offer is accepted, explain the terms of the search order to the respondent;
(c) explain to the respondent that he or she has the right to obtain legal advice;
(d) supervise the carrying out of the order;
(e) before removing things from the premises, make a list of them, allow the respondent a reasonable opportunity to check the correctness of the list, sign the list, and provide the parties with a copy of the list;
(f) take custody of all things removed from the premises until further order of the Court;
(g) if the independent solicitor considers it necessary to remove a computer from the premises for safekeeping or for the purpose of copying its contents electronically or printing out information in documentary form, remove the computer from the premises for that purpose, and return the computer to the premises within any time prescribed by the order together with a list of any documents that have been copied or printed out;
(h) submit a written report to the Court within the time prescribed by the order as to the execution of the order; and
(i) attend the hearing on the return date of the application, and have available to be brought to the Court all things that were removed from the premises. On the return date the independent solicitor may be required to release material in his or her custody which has been removed from the respondent’s premises or to provide information to the Court, and may raise any issue before the Court as to execution of the order.
12. Ordinarily, the applicant is not permitted, without the leave of the Court, to inspect things removed from the premises or copies of them, or to be given any information about them by members of the search party.
13. Ordinarily, a search order should be served between 9:00am and 2:00pm on a business day in order to permit the respondent more readily to obtain legal advice. However, there may be circumstances in which such a restriction is not appropriate.
14. A search order must not be executed at the same time as the execution of a search warrant by the police or by a regulatory authority.
15. If the premises are or include residential premises and the applicant is aware that when service of the order is effected the only occupant of the residential premises is likely to be any one or more of a female, a child under the age of 18, or a vulnerable person, the Court will give consideration to whether:
(a) if the occupants are likely to include a female or child, the independent solicitor should be a woman or the search party should otherwise include a woman; and
(b) if the occupants are likely to include a vulnerable person, the search party should include a person capable of addressing the relevant vulnerability.
16. Any period during which the respondent is to be restrained from informing any other person (other than for the purposes of obtaining legal advice) of the existence of the search order should be as short as possible and not extend beyond 4:30pm on the Return Date.
17. At the inter partes hearing of the application on the return date, the Court will consider the following issues:-
(a) what is to happen to any things removed from the premises or to any copies which have been made;
(b) how any commercial confidentiality of the respondent is to be maintained;
(c) any claim of privilege by the respondent;
(d) any application by a party; and
(e) any issue raised by the independent solicitor.
18. Appropriate undertakings to the Court will be required of the applicant, the applicant’s solicitor and the independent solicitor, as conditions of the making of the search order. The undertakings required of the applicant will normally include the Court’s usual undertaking as to damages. The applicant’s solicitor’s undertaking includes an undertaking not to disclose to the applicant any information that the solicitor has acquired during or as a result of execution of the search order, without the leave of the Court. Release from this undertaking in whole or in part may be sought on the return date.
19. If it is demonstrated that the applicant has or may have insufficient assets within the jurisdiction of the Court to provide substance for the usual undertaking as to damages, the applicant may be required to provide security for the due performance of that undertaking. The security may, for example, take the form of a bank’s irrevocable undertaking to pay or a payment into Court. The example form of search order contains provision for an irrevocable undertaking.
20. An applicant ex parte for a search order is under a duty to the Court to make full and frank disclosure of all material facts to the Court. This includes disclosure of possible defences known to the applicant and of any financial information which may cast doubt on the applicant’s ability to meet the usual undertaking as to damages from assets within Australia.
21. The order to be served should be endorsed with a notice which meets the requirements of [e.g. FCR O 37 r 2, NSW UCPR Pt 40 r 7, Victoria SCR O 66 r 10].
22. A search order is subject to the Court’s adjudication of any claim of privilege against self-incrimination. The privilege against self-incrimination is available to individuals but not to corporations. The Court will not make an order reducing or limiting that privilege in circumstances where the legislature has not indicated that it may do so.
M E J BLACK
Chief Justice
25 September 2009
Example Form of Search Order
[Title of Proceeding]
PENAL NOTICE
TO: [name of person against whom the order is made] IF YOU (BEING THE PERSON BOUND BY THIS ORDER):
YOU WILL BE LIABLE TO IMPRISONMENT, SEQUESTRATION OF PROPERTY OR OTHER PUNISHMENT. ANY OTHER PERSON WHO KNOWS OF THIS ORDER AND DOES ANYTHING WHICH HELPS OR PERMITS YOU TO BREACH THE TERMS OF THIS ORDER MAY BE SIMILARLY PUNISHED.
TO: [name of person against whom the order is made] This is a ‘search order’ made against you on [insert date] by Justice [insert name of Judge] at a hearing without notice to you after the Court was given the undertakings set out in Schedule B to this order and after the Court read the affidavits listed in Schedule C to this order. THE COURT ORDERS: INTRODUCTION 1. (a) the application for this order is made returnable immediately. 2. Subject to the next paragraph, this order has effect up to and including [insert date] (‘the Return Date’). On the Return Date at [insert time] am/pm there will be a further hearing in respect of this order before Justice [insert name of Judge]. 3. You may apply to the Court at any time to vary or discharge this order; including, if necessary, by telephone to the judge referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph (phone No. ) or to the Duty Judge (phone No. ). 4. This order may be served only between [insert time] am/pm and [insert time] am/pm [on a business day]1. 5. In this order: 6. This order must be complied with by you by: 7. This order must be served by, and be executed under the supervision of, the independent solicitor. ENTRY, SEARCH AND REMOVAL 8. Subject to paragraphs 10 to 20 below, upon service of this order you must permit members of the search party to enter the premises so that they can carry out the search and other activities referred to in this order. 9. Having permitted members of the search party to enter the premises, you must:- RESTRICTIONS ON ENTRY, SEARCH AND REMOVAL 10. This order may not be executed at the same time as a search warrant (or similar process) is executed by the police or by a regulatory authority. 11. You are not required to permit anyone to enter the premises until: (a) the independent solicitor serves you with copies of this order and any affidavits referred to in Schedule C (confidential exhibits, if any, need not be served until further order of the Court); and 12. Before permitting entry to the premises by anyone other than the independent solicitor, you, for a time (not exceeding two hours from the time of service or such longer period as the independent solicitor may permit):- 13. Subject to paragraph 22 below, the independent solicitor must not inspect or permit to be inspected by anyone, including the applicant and the applicant’s solicitors, any thing handed to the independent solicitor in accordance with subparagraphs 12(c) and (d) above and the independent solicitor must deliver it to the Court at or prior to the hearing on the Return Date. 14. During any period referred to in para 12 above, you must: 15. Any thing the subject of a dispute as to whether it is a listed thing must promptly be handed by you to the independent solicitor for safekeeping pending resolution of the dispute or further order of the Court. 16. Before removing any listed things from the premises (other than things referred to in the immediately preceding paragraph), the independent solicitor must supply a list of them to you, give you a reasonable time to check the correctness of the list, and give you and the applicant’s solicitors a copy of the list signed by the independent solicitor. 17. The premises must not be searched, and things must not be removed from the premises, except in the presence of you or of a person who appears to the independent solicitor to be your director, officer, partner, employee, agent or other person acting on your behalf or on your instructions. 18. If the independent solicitor is satisfied that full compliance with the immediately preceding paragraph is not reasonably practicable, the independent solicitor may permit the search to proceed and the listed things to be removed without full compliance. 19. The applicant’s solicitors and the independent solicitor must not allow the applicant in person to inspect or have copies of any thing removed from the premises nor communicate to the applicant information about its contents or about anything observed at the premises until 4:30pm on the return date or other time fixed by further order of the Court. COMPUTERS 20. (a) If it is expected that a computer will be searched, the search party must include a computer expert who is independent of the applicant and of the applicant’s solicitors (‘the independent computer expert’). 21. (a) Unless you are a corporation, you are entitled to object to paragraphs 20(b) to (f) on the ground that they might tend to incriminate you or make you liable to a civil penalty. INSPECTION 22. Prior to the Return Date, you or your solicitor or representative shall be entitled, in the presence of the independent solicitor, to inspect any thing removed from the premises and to: (a) make copies of the same; and PROVISION OF INFORMATION 23. Subject to paragraph 24 below, you must: 24. (a) This paragraph (24) applies if you are not a corporation and you wish to object that compliance with paragraph 23 may tend to incriminate you or make you liable to a civil penalty. PROHIBITED ACTS 25. Except for the sole purpose of obtaining legal advice, you must not, until 4:30pm on the Return Date, directly or indirectly inform any person of this proceeding or of the contents of this order, or tell any person that a proceeding has been or may be brought against you by the applicant. 26. Until 4:30pm on the Return Date you must not destroy, tamper with, cancel or part with possession, power, custody or control of the listed things otherwise than in accordance with the terms of this order or further order of the Court. COSTS 27. The costs of this application are reserved to the Judge hearing the application on the Return Date.
SCHEDULE A
Premises The premises located at [insert address or addresses] including any vehicle or vehicles under the respondent’s control on or about those premises.
Listed Things 1.
Search Party 1. The independent solicitor: [insert name and address] 2. The applicant’s solicitor or solicitors: 3. Other members of the search party:-
SCHEDULE B UNDERTAKINGS GIVEN TO THE COURT Undertakings given to the Court by the applicant:- (1) The applicant undertakes to submit to such order (if any) as the Court may consider to be just for the payment of compensation (to be assessed by the Court or as it may direct) to any person (whether or not a party) affected by the operation of the order. (2) The applicant will not, without leave of the Court, use any information, document or thing obtained as a result of the execution of this order for the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, either within or outside Australia, other than this proceeding. (3) The applicant will not inform any other person of the existence of this proceeding except for the purposes of this proceeding until after 4:30pm on the Return Date. (4) If the applicant has not already done so, as soon as practicable the applicant will file a notice of motion for hearing on the Return Date and an originating process [in the form of the draft produced to the Court]. [(5) The applicant will insure the things removed from the premises against loss or damage for an amount that reasonably appears to the applicant to be their full value.2] [(6) The applicant will3: Undertakings given to the Court by the applicant's solicitor (1) The applicant’s solicitor will pay the reasonable costs and disbursements of the independent solicitor and of any independent computer expert. (2) The applicant’s solicitor will provide to the independent solicitor for service on the respondent copies of the following documents: (3) The applicant's solicitor will answer to the best of his or her ability any question as to whether a particular thing is a listed thing. (4) The applicant’s solicitor will use his or her best endeavours to act in conformity with the order and to ensure that the order is executed in a courteous and orderly manner and in a manner that minimises disruption to the respondent. (5) The applicant’s solicitor will not, without leave of the Court, use any information, document or thing obtained as a result of the execution of this order for the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, either within or outside Australia, other than this proceeding. (6) The applicant’s solicitor will not inform any other person of the existence of this proceeding except for the purposes of this proceeding until after 4:30pm on the Return Date. (7) The applicant’s solicitor will not disclose to the applicant any information that the solicitor acquires during or as a result of execution of the search order, without the leave of the Court. (8) The applicant’s solicitor will use best endeavours to follow all directions of the independent solicitor. Undertakings given to the Court by the independent solicitor (1) The independent solicitor will use his or her best endeavours to serve the respondent with this order and the other documents referred to in undertaking (2) of the above undertakings by the applicant’s solicitor or solicitors. (2) Before entering the premises, the independent solicitor will:- (3) Subject to undertaking (4) below, the independent solicitor will retain custody of all things removed from the premises by the independent solicitor pursuant to this order until delivery to the Court or further order of the Court. (4) At or before the hearing on the Return Date, the independent solicitor will provide a written report on the carrying out of the order to the Court and provide a copy to the applicant's solicitors and to the respondent or the respondent’s solicitors. The report will attach a copy of any list made pursuant to the order and a copy of any report received from an independent computer expert. (5) The independent solicitor will use best endeavours to ensure that members of the search party act in conformity with the order and that the order is executed in a courteous and orderly manner and in a manner that minimises disruption to the respondent, and will give such reasonable directions to other members of the search party as are necessary or convenient for the execution of the order. (6) The independent solicitor will not, without leave of the Court, use any information, document or thing obtained as a result of the execution of this order for the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, either within or outside Australia, other than this proceeding. (7) The independent solicitor will not inform any other person of the existence of this proceeding except for the purposes of this proceeding until after 4:30pm on the Return Date. Undertakings given to the Court by the independent computer expert (1) The independent computer expert will use his or her best endeavours to act in conformity with the order and to ensure that the order, so far as it concerns the independent computer expert, is executed in a courteous and orderly manner and in a manner that minimises disruption to the respondent. (2) The independent computer expert will not, without leave of the Court, use any information, document or thing obtained as a result of the execution of this order for the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, either within or outside Australia, other than this proceeding. (3) The independent computer expert will not inform any other person of the existence of this proceeding except for the purposes of this proceeding until after 4:30pm on the Return Date. (4) The independent computer expert will use best endeavours to follow all directions of the independent solicitor.
SCHEDULE C AFFIDAVITS RELIED ON
NAME AND ADDRESS OF APPLICANT'S SOLICITORS The Applicant’s solicitors are: [Insert name, address, reference, fax and telephone numbers both in and out office hours].
1 Normally the order should be served between 9:00am and 2:00pm on a business day to enable the respondent more readily to obtain legal advice. 2 Depending on the nature of the things likely to be removed and their likely value, and the likely particular risks of their being lost or damaged, this undertaking or a more elaborate one may be required. 3 See Practice Note paragraph 19. |