case_outcome: distinguished

case_title: Commissioner of Taxation v Rio Tinto Ltd [2006] FCAFC 86

case_text: Commissioner of Taxation v Rio Tinto Limited [2006] FCAFC 86 (' Rio Tinto' ) at [44], the Full Court (Kenny, Stone and Edmonds JJ) said that there was a good deal of doubt whether the language used by the majority in Mann worked any real change in the principle which governs imputed waiver. This observation was made somewhat tentatively and was not material to the Court's decision. My own view is that a test expressed in terms of inconsistency more readily accommodates the variety of situations in which questions of imputed waiver can arise than a test expressed in terms of fairness. The criterion of fairness is readily understandable in the context of inter partes litigation, but it is difficult to apply sensibly in other contexts: see the observations by McHugh J in Mann at 40 [128] and Toohey J in Goldberg v Ng [1995] HCA 39 ; (1995) 185 CLR 83 (' Goldberg v Ng' ) at 110.