Mohareb v Palmer (No 2) [2020] NSWCA 324

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Mohareb v Palmer (No 2) [2020] NSWCA 324 Hearing dates: 5 March 2020 Date of orders: 11 December 2020 Decision date: 11 December 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; McCallum JA at [94]; Simpson AJA at [95] Decision: 1. Leave granted to appeal against the orders of 7 August 2019. 2. Appeal allowed in part. 3. Order 2 be set aside. 4. Appeal otherwise dismissed. 5. No order as to costs. Catchwords: CIVIL PROCEDURE — Parties — Vexatious litigants – Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW) – s 6 – meaning of "vexatious proceedings" – s 8(1) – meaning of "frequently instituted or conducted vexatious proceedings" – assessment of frequency CIVIL PROCEDURE — Parties — Vexatious litigants – exercise of discretion – balance between access to the processes of the law and restraint of unwarranted exercise of that access CIVIL PROCEDURE — Hearings — Procedural fairness – expansion of orders as compared to those sought – making an order in terms not foreshadowed during or after the hearing – no opportunity for parties to be heard Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), ss 56, 61, 73 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 326, 327, 338 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW), s 23 District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 203 Federal Court of Australia Rules 1976 (Cth) Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), s 35A Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) ss 345, 498 Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules 2015, r 64 Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), ss 62, 86; Sch 2, cll 1, 2, 4 Local Court Act 2007 (NSW), s 40 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 84, 75A, 101 Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW), Pt 55 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 36.16 Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW), ss 4, 6, 8, 14-16 Cases Cited: Attorney General of New South Wales v Croker [2010] NSWSC 942 Attorney-General v Wentworth (1988) 14 NSWLR 481 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118; [2003] HCA 22 Be Financial Pty Ltd atf Be Financial Operations Trust v Das [2012] NSWCA 164 Expense Reduction Analysts Group Pty Ltd v Armstrong Strategic Management and Marketing Pty Ltd (2013) 250 CLR 303; [2013] HCA 46 Kowalski v Mitsubishi Motors Australia Ltd (2011) 198 FCR 153; [2011] FCAFC 159 Glover v Australian Concrete Floors Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 503 Hambleton v Labaj [2010] QSC 124 Mahmoud v Attorney-General of New South Wales [2017] NSWCA 12 Mohareb v Palmer (No 2) [2015] NSWDC 141 Mohareb v Palmer (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 400 Mohareb v Palmer (No 3) [2016] NSWDC 38 Mohareb v Palmer (No 4) [2017] NSWDC 127 Mohareb v Palmer (Supreme Court (NSW), Fagan J, 2 September 2019, unrep) Mohareb v Palmer [2015] NSWCA 369 Mohareb v Palmer [2015] NSWDC 134 Mohareb v Palmer [2016] NSWCA 378 Mohareb v Palmer [2017] NSWCA 281 Mohareb v Palmer [2017] NSWSC 1491 Mohareb v Palmer [2018] HCASL 18 Mohareb v Palmer [2018] NSWCA 220 Moss v McIlveen [2011] NSWCA 77 Nader Mohareb; Matthew Palmer v Nader Mohareb NSD 1760 of 2017 National Australia Bank Ltd v Freeman [2006] QSC 86 Official Trustee in Bankruptcy v Gargan (No 2) [2009] FCA 398 Palmer v Mohareb [2019] NSWSC 975 Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589; [1981] HCA 45 Potier v Attorney-General in and for the State of New South Wales (2015) 89 NSWLR 284; [2015] NSWCA 129 R De W Kennedy (Finance) Pty Ltd v Ley; Ley v Scarff (Supreme Court (NSW), Holland J, 29 March 1978, unrep) Robinson Helicopters Company Incorporated v McDermott [2016] HCA 22; (2016) 90 ALJR 679 Singh v The Owners Strata Plan 11723 [2013] NSWSC 1595 Smith v New South Wales Bar Association (1992) 176 CLR 256; [1992] HCA 36 Soden v Kowalski [2011] FCA 318 Spencer v The Commonwealth (2010) 241 CLR 118; [2010] HCA 28 The Attorney General for the State of New South Wales v Mohareb [2016] NSWSC 1823 Viavattene v Attorney-General (NSW) [2015] NSWCA 44 White Industries Australia Limited v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (2007) 160 FCR 298; [2007] FCA 511 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Nader Mohareb (Applicant) Matthew Palmer (First Respondent) Attorney-General of NSW (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: In person (Applicant) J Emmett/R McEwen (Second Respondent)