Melmeth v State of New South Wales [2021] NSWDC 28

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Melmeth v State of New South Wales [2021] NSWDC 28 Hearing dates: 28-30 September 2020, 15 October 2020 Date of orders: 26 February 2021 Decision date: 26 February 2021 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Neilson DCJ Decision: Verdict and judgment for the defendant against the plaintiff. Catchwords: TORTS — Malicious prosecution — Elements — 3 elements in dispute — Malice — Reasonable and probable cause — Whether OIC still prosecutor after proceedings taken over by DPP — Whether Crown Prosecutor briefed only to conduct trial could be a relevant prosecutor. Legislation Cited: Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1968 Criminal Procedure Act 1986 Crown Prosecutors Act 1986 Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1986 Evidence Act 1995 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 Small Debts Recovery Act 1912 Cases Cited: A v NSW [2007] HCA 10; (2007) 230 CLR 500 Beckett v NSW [2013] HCA 17 Coleman v Buckingham's Ltd (1963) 63 SR (NSW) 171 Commonwealth Life Assurance Society Ltd v Brain (1935) 53 CLR 343 Commonwealth Life Assurance Society Ltd v Smith (1938) 59 CLR 527 Davis v Gell (1924) 33 CLR 275 Fred Saad & Ors v State of New South Wales [2016] NSWSC 1247 Gibb-Smith v NSW [2018] NSWDC 204 Johnston v Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [2006] NSWCA 218 Likiardopoulos v The Queen [2010] VSCA 344 Martin v Watson [1996] AC 74 NSW v Abed [2014] NSWCA 419 R v Doorey [1970] 3 NSWR 351 R v Dunn (1930) 30 SR (NSW) 20 R v Murray (1987) 11 NSWLR 12 Sahede v Bischoff [2015] NSWCA 418 Skrijel v Mengler [2003] VSC 270 Wood v NSW [2018] NSWSC 1247 Zreika v NSW [2012] NSWCA 37 Texts Cited: Fleming, The Law of Torts, 9th Ed (1998) Halsbury's Laws of Australia, Vol 26 New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Complicity, Report 129 (2010) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff - Carly Jayne Melmeth Defendant - State of New South Wales Representation: Counsel: Plaintiff - A.C. Canceri Defendant - A.N. Williams Solicitors: Plaintiff – Nyman Gibson Miralis (P. Gibson) Defendant – Crown Solicitor's Office (A. Taylor) File Number(s): 2019/00118966 Publication restriction: Nil.