Judge slaps down Palmer court case as ‘hopeless’ and a ‘beat-up’

According to court documents, after the case they relied upon fell over in September 2020, lawyers for QNI Metals and QNI Resources decided to withdraw their application on March 26.

However, the parties could not agree on costs. The liquidators wanted indemnity costs, which were broader and more valuable, but QNI Metals and QNI Resources wanted to pay only standard costs.

Queensland Supreme Court Justice John Bond, who oversaw both applications involving the parties, concluded the case met the requirements for the wider-ranging indemnity costs to be enforced.

“The essence of the respondents’ [the liquidators’] argument for indemnity costs was that the applicants’ [QNI Metals’ and QNI Resources’] case was always hopeless and…