DTO21 v Australian Crime Commission [2022] FCAFC 190

Federal Court of Australia

DTO21 v Australian Crime Commission [2022] FCAFC 190 Appeal from: Australian Crime Commission v DTO21 (No 2) [2022] FCA 934

File number: NSD 748 of 2022

Judgment of: WIGNEY, BROMWICH and ABRAHAM JJ

Date of judgment: 30 November 2022

Catchwords: CONTEMPT OF COURT – refusal by appellant to answer certain questions in Australian Crime Commission examination – refusal constituted contempt under s 34A(a)(ii) of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 (Cth) – appellant sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with liberty to apply – whether primary judge erred in finding there was continued prospect of appellant purging contempt – relevance of coercion in fixing sentences for contempt – whether primary judge considered suspended sentence – whether sentence was manifestly excessive – no error established – appeal dismissed

Legislation: Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 (Cth) s 34A(a)(ii)

Cases cited: Anderson v BYF19 [2019] FCA 1959 Anderson v DKH18 [2018] FCA 1571 Anderson v EVA20 [2022] FCA 1165 Anderson v GPY18 [2019] FCA 954 Anderson v XLVII (2015) 319 ALR 139; [2015] FCA 19 Australian Crime Commission v DTO21 (No 2) [2022] FCA 934 Australian Crime Commission v DTO21 [2022] FCA 288 Hannaford v HH (No 2) (2012) 203 FCR 501; [2012] FCA 560 He v Sun [2021] NSWCA 95; 104 NSWLR 518 Hili v The Queen [2010] HCA 45; 242 CLR 520 House v The King [1936] HCA 40; 55 CLR 499 Lusty v CRA20 [2020] FCA 1737 R v Olbrich [1999] HCA 54; 199 CLR 270 Registrar of the Court of Appeal v Maniam (No 2) (1992) 26 NSWLR 309 Ryan v The Queen (2001) 206 CLR 267; [2001] HCA 21 Tracey v The Queen [2020] ACTCA 51 Veen v The Queen (No 2) (1988) 164 CLR 465 Von Doussa v Owens (No 3) (1982) 31 SASR 116 Wood v Galea (1995) 79 A Crim R 567 Wood v Galea (1996) 84 A Crim R 274 Wood v Galea (1997) 92 A Crim R 287 Wood v Staunton (No 5) (1996) 86 A Crim R 183