Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd [1975]

[1975] 1 NSWLR 240 · Supreme Court of New South Wales · Australia

Wine Lawwine-lawWine LawWine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability

Issue

Whether the member was personally liable for the cooperative's debts.

Held

The member was not personally liable beyond the amount of their shares.

Exam use

In an exam, introduce Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd with the citation only if you can remember it accurately; otherwise use the case name and court, then focus on the rule and application. A strong answer should say what Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd decided, why the facts mattered, and how the authority helps resolve the new facts. Avoid treating the case as a decorative reference. Use it to prove a doctrinal step in Wine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability, then move quickly to analysis.

Summary

Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd is included in the Wine Law case database because it gives students a concrete authority for Wine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability. The reported citation is [1975] 1 NSWLR 240, and the decision is associated with Supreme Court of New South Wales. In revision, treat the case as a way to connect the legal issue to a real dispute rather than as an abstract rule. The key exam move is to state the holding, identify the fact pattern that made the rule matter, and then decide whether a new problem question should apply, distinguish, or limit the authority.

Facts

The material factual signal for Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd is: A wine co-operative sought to recover unpaid amounts from a member for wine supplied. Students should read the linked source and turn that signal into a short fact table: parties, transaction or public-law setting, procedural posture, conduct in dispute, and the fact the court treated as decisive. This prevents vague case-dropping. In an answer on Wine Law, use the facts to explain why Wine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability was live, then compare the problem facts against the facts in the case before stating any conclusion.

Procedural History

Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd is reported as a decision of Supreme Court of New South Wales. The procedural route should be checked against the linked source before formal citation. For study notes, record whether the decision was an appeal, judicial review, trial judgment, tribunal ruling, or constitutional/application proceeding, because that posture affects how confidently the rule can be used.

Issue

Whether the member was personally liable for the cooperative's debts.

Held

The member was not personally liable beyond the amount of their shares.

Ratio Decidendi

Members of a wine co-operative are generally not personally liable for the co-op's debts unless they have expressly agreed.

Obiter Dicta

Check the linked source for concurring, dissenting, or obiter observations before quoting this case. If the case includes non-binding reasoning, use it as persuasive support rather than as the core rule.

Reasoning

For reasoning, start with the ratio: Members of a wine co-operative are generally not personally liable for the co-op's debts unless they have expressly agreed. Then read the source and separate three things: the legal test, the facts used to apply that test, and any policy or institutional reason the court gave. This structure makes Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd easier to use in essays and problem questions. In Wine Law, the case should be compared with related authorities on Wine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability; if the jurisdiction, statute, or procedural posture differs from the exam problem, explain that limit explicitly instead of treating the authority as automatic.

Plain-English Explanation

Plainly, Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd is a case to use when a Wine Law answer needs an authority on Wine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability. Do not just list it. Explain the problem the court had to solve, the rule or holding it used, and the fact that made the result persuasive. That turns the case from a memorised name into evidence for your legal analysis.

Essay-Ready Explanation Generator

Version 1 of 4

Reference to Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd ([1975] 1 NSWLR 240) strengthens a Wine Law answer because the case reflects the principle that Members of a wine co-operative are generally not personally liable for the co-op's debts unless they have expressly agreed. Applied to a problem question, the case should be used after identifying the issue as Whether the member was personally liable for the cooperative's debts. The stronger essay move is to connect the material facts to the court's holding, then explain whether the present facts support the same conclusion or justify distinguishing the authority.

Underlying Concepts

  • wine-law
  • Wine Law
  • Wine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability
  • case authority
  • exam application

Key Passages

  • Verify exact wording in the linked source before quoting.

Significance

Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd is significant for LawConquer users because it supplies a named authority for Wine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability in Wine Law. The case can anchor a paragraph, support a rule statement, or provide a contrast point when another authority points the other way. Its practical value is strongest when the student links the holding to the material facts and then explains whether the present problem is analogous or distinguishable.

Related Cases

No related cases listed.

Exam Tips

In an exam, introduce Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd with the citation only if you can remember it accurately; otherwise use the case name and court, then focus on the rule and application. A strong answer should say what Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd decided, why the facts mattered, and how the authority helps resolve the new facts. Avoid treating the case as a decorative reference. Use it to prove a doctrinal step in Wine contract; Cooperative; Member's liability, then move quickly to analysis.

Revision Checklist

  • Name the issue before discussing facts so the marker sees the legal question immediately.
  • State the holding in one sentence, then use the ratio to explain why the court reached that result.
  • Use the citation and jurisdiction to show why this authority matters for the problem you are answering.
  • Pair this case with one supporting or contrasting authority if the question tests limits, policy, or exceptions.

Problem Question Use

Use Re Wine Co-Operative of South Australia Ltd in a problem question by matching the factual trigger to the new scenario. If the fact pattern aligns with A wine co-operative sought to recover unpaid amounts from a member for wine supplied., apply the ratio and explain the likely result. If a crucial fact, jurisdiction, statute, or procedural posture differs, distinguish the case and use it as a boundary rather than a controlling answer.

Common Pitfalls

  • Name-dropping the case without applying the facts
  • Ignoring jurisdiction or procedural posture
  • Quoting without checking the linked source

Sources