Folbigg v Attorney General of New South Wales [2021] NSWCA 44

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Folbigg v Attorney General of New South Wales [2021] NSWCA 44 Hearing dates: 15, 16 February 2021 Decision date: 24 March 2021 Before: Basten JA; Leeming JA; Brereton JA Decision: (1) Dismiss the further amended summons seeking judicial review of the report of the judicial officer. (2) Order that the applicant pay the Attorney's costs of the proceedings in this Court. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – inquiry into criminal convictions – challenge to opinion that no reasonable doubt attended the convictions – whether opinion arbitrary, capricious or irrational – whether relevant material disregarded ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – procedural fairness – improperly rejecting evidence – test of relevance for purposes of inquiry – failure to consider submissions – failure to consider good character evidence – failing to reopen inquiry CRIMINAL LAW – post-appeal review – petition to Governor – doubt or question as to person's guilt – judicial officer appointed to conduct inquiry – legal test to be applied by judicial officer – "reasonable doubt as to guilt of convicted person" – Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), s 82(2)(a) JUDICIAL REVIEW – justiciability – challenge to opinion of judicial officer holding inquiry under Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), Pt 7 – whether exercise of prerogative of mercy – whether decisions of intermediate courts of appeal should be followed – whether procedure under Criminal Code (Qld), s 672A, distinguishable Legislation Cited: Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), ss 76, 77, 82, 114; Pt 7 Criminal Code (Qld), s 672A Judicial Review Act 1991 (Qld), s 4 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), s 68 Sentencing Act 1994 (WA), s 140 Stronger Communities Legislation Amendment (Courts and Civil) Act 2020 (NSW), Sch 1.13[1] Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 69 Cases Cited: AAI Ltd t/as AAMI v Chan [2021] NSWCA 19 Attorney-General (Cth) v Ogawa [2020] FCAFC 180; 384 ALR 474 Avon Downs Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1949) 78 CLR 353; [1949] HCA 26 Buck v Bavone (1976) 135 CLR 110; [1976] HCA 24 Craig v State of South Australia (1995) 184 CLR 163; [1995] HCA 58 Folbigg v R [2007] NSWCCA 371 Folbigg v The Queen [2005] HCATrans 657 Holzinger v Attorney-General of Queensland [2020] QCA 165; 385 ALR 158 Hossain v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2018) 264 CLR 123; [2018] HCA 34 Mallard v The Queen (2005) 224 CLR 125; [2005] HCA 68 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZMTA (2019) 264 CLR 421; [2019] HCA 3 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Eshetu (1999) 197 CLR 611; [1999] HCA 21 R v Cannings [2004] EWCA Crim 1 R v Clark [2003] EWCA Crim 1020 R v Folbigg [2002] NSWSC 1127 R v Folbigg [2003] NSWCCA 17 Regina v Folbigg [2005] NSWCCA 23; 152 A Crim R 35 Re Refugee Review Tribunal; Ex parte Aala (2000) 204 CLR 82; [2000] HCA 57 Shepherd v The Queen (1990) 170 CLR 573; [1990] HCA 56 Solomons v District Court (NSW) (2002) 211 CLR 119; [2002] HCA 47 The King v Connell; Ex parte Hetton Bellbird Collieries Ltd (1944) 69 CLR 407; [1944] HCA 42 Texts Cited: Dominick J DiMaio and Vincent V J DiMaio, Forensic Pathology (CRC Press, 1st ed, 1989) 503 Jhodie R Duncan and Roger W Byard eds, SIDS – Sudden Infant and Early Childhood Death: The Past, the Present and the Future (Univ of Adelaide Press, 2018), Ch 2, Duncan and Byard, "Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: An Overview" Crotti L et al, Calmodulin Mutations Associated with Recurrent Cardiac Arrest in Infants", Circulation 2013: 127(9): 1009-1017 Crotti L et al, Calmodulin mutations and life-threatening cardiac arrythmias: Insights from the International Calmodulinopathy Registry Eur Heart J 2019; 40, 2964-75 Report of the Inquiry into the Convictions of Kathleen Megan Folbigg, July 2019 Report of the Inquiry into the Convictions of Timothy Edward Anderson, Paul Shawn Alister and Ross Anthony Dunn (14 May 1985) Roy Meadow (ed), ABC of Child Abuse (BMJ Publishing, 3rd ed, 1997) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Kathleen Megan Folbigg (Applicant) Attorney General of New South Wales (First Respondent) The Hon Reginald Oliver Blanch AM QC (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr J Morris SC / Mr T Ower (Applicant) Mr S Free SC / Mr B Lim (First Respondent)