Thunder Studios Inc (California) v Kazal (No 2) [2017] FCA 202

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Thunder Studios Inc (California) v Kazal (No 2) [2017] FCA 202 File number: NSD 850 of 2014

Judge: RARES J

Date of judgment: 27 February 2017

Catchwords: CONTEMPT OF COURT – sentencing – where respondent found guilty of four charges of breaching mandatory orders and two charges of bringing improper pressure on a party and party's lawyer – whether necessary to include in charge allegation of contumacious and wilful disobedience of court order – findings of acts of public defiance of a court order – where contemnor undischarged bankrupt and had provided no information about financial position or resources to trustee in bankruptcy or for sentencing hearing – whether fine, suspended sentence of imprisonment or imprisonment appropriate – where contemnor expressed no remorse or acknowledgment of responsibility

Legislation: Bankruptcy Act 1966 (Cth) s 54 Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) s 16A

Cases cited: Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union v Mudginberri Station Pty Ltd (1986) 161 CLR 98 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v World Netsafe Pty Ltd (2003) 133 FCR 279 Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v Boral Resources (Vic) Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 375 Gallagher v Durack (1983) 152 CLR 238 Pearce v The Queen (1998) 194 CLR 610 R v Kilic (2016) 339 ALR 229 R v Smith (1987) 44 SASR 587 Sage v ZZ (No 2) 234 FCR 251 The Queen v Crabbe (1985) 156 CLR 464 Thunder Studios Inc (California) v Kazal [2016] FCA 1598 Vaysman v Deckers Outdoor Corporation Inc (2011) 276 ALR 596 Vaysman v Deckers Outdoor Corporation Inc (2014) 222 FCR 387