30,000 customers files class action versus ANZ

The lender is among those in Australia that face $50mln charge for alleged illegal fees.

Australia's largest ever class action case, involving almost 30,000 people taking on the ANZ bank over fee-gouging, could come down to just one witness for each party to decide the winner.

In the first of a series of class actions planned against Australian banks, law firm Maurice Blackburn is alleging ANZ charged their customers excessive fees since 2006.

Maurice Blackburn is claiming around $50 million for fees the banks charged, including dishonour fees on bank accounts, as well as over limit fees and late payment fees on credit cards.

In a directions hearing in the Federal Court on Thursday, Justice Ray Finkelstein told counsel for Maurice Blackburn and the defendant ANZ he would prefer both parties picked their best witness to try the case.

"One case, one calculation, one fee - then hang your case on the result of that on the basis if you lose your best case then you lose the lot," he said.

Maurice Blackburn counsel Michael Lee said it seemed a sensible course to take, but ANZ counsel Alan Archibald SC believed it could be more complicated than that.

View the full story in The Sydney Morning Herald.