Tropic Asphalts Pty Ltd v Snowy Monaro Regional Council [2021] NSWCCA 24

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Tropic Asphalts Pty Ltd v Snowy Monaro Regional Council [2021] NSWCCA 24 Hearing dates: 8 February 2021 Date of orders: 3 March 2021 Decision date: 03 March 2021 Before: Macfarlan JA at [1]; Button J at [58]; Ierace J at [59] Decision: Leave to appeal refused. Catchwords: PROCEDURE – subpoena – application to set aside – whether subpoena issued for any legitimate forensic purpose – documents sought by subpoena already produced under a statutory notice – assertion that statutory notice invalid and documents produced under it unlawfully obtained – subpoena issuer's knowledge of existence of subpoenaed documents came through sources other than statutory notice – no reason why a party should not seek to overcome inadequacies, for the purposes of proof, of documents already in its possession PROCEDURE – subpoena – application to limit scope – whether abuse of process to seek production of documents relating to days not the subject of criminal charges – arguable relevance to specific days the subject of charges, as tendency or coincidence evidence, to negative any defence and/or to sentencing Legislation Cited: Crimes Sentencing Procedure Act 1999 (NSW), s 21A(2)(n) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5F Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), ss 76A(1)(b), 119J, 125(1) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) Cases Cited: A v Z [2007] NSWSC 899; (2007) 212 FLR 255 Alister v The Queen (1984) 154 CLR 404; [1984] HCA 85 Attorney General (NSW) v Chidgey [2008] NSWCCA 65; (2008) 182 A Crim R 536 Caltex Refining Co Pty Ltd v State Pollution Control Commission (1991) 25 NSWLR 118 Chow v Director of Public Prosecutions (1992) 28 NSWLR 593 CTM v The Queen (2008) 236 CLR 440; [2008] HCA 25 Environment Protection Authority v Caltex Refining Co Pty Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 477; [1993] HCA 74 Environment Protection Authority v Wollondilly Abattoirs Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCCA 312 Hardt v Environment Protection Authority [2007] NSWCCA 338; (2007) 156 LGERA 337 ICAP Australia Pty Ltd v BGC Partners (Australia) Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 307 In re the Will of Gilbert (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 National Employers' Mutual General Association Ltd v Waind and Hill [1978] 1 NSWLR 372 North Sydney Council v Moline (No 2) [2008] NSWLEC 169 Port Macquarie-Hastings Council v Mansfield [2019] NSWCCA 7; (2019) 239 LGERA 240 R v Rogerson (1990) 45 A Crim R 253 R v Saleam [1999] NSWCCA 86 R v Steffan (1993) 30 NSWLR 633 State Rail Authority of NSW v Hunter Water Board (1992) 28 NSWLR 721 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Tropic Asphalts Pty Ltd (Applicant) Snowy Monaro Regional Council (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T S Hale SC (Applicant) C Ireland (Respondent)