He v Sun [2021] NSWCA 95

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: He v Sun [2021] NSWCA 95 Hearing dates: 26 March 2021 Date of orders: 20 May 2021 Decision date: 20 May 2021 Before: Bell P at [1]; Gleeson JA at [60]; McCallum JA at [61] Decision: 1. Appeal dismissed with costs. 2. Dissolve the stay of orders made by Ward CJ in Eq on 25 September 2020 in relation to charges 1–4 as referred to in judgment Sun v He (No 2) [2020] NSWSC 1298. 3. Order that a warrant issue for the committal of the appellant, Xin He (also known as Ethan He), to a correctional centre for a term of six weeks commencing on the date of his arrest. 4. Order that the warrant be executed forthwith. Catchwords: CONTEMPT – criminal contempt – where appellant engaged in conduct found to amount to a contumacious disregard of Court orders – where sentencing judge imposed a sentence of six weeks' imprisonment – whether sentencing judge failed to consider possibility of suspending sentence for contempt – whether sentencing judge erred in failing to suspend the sentence – whether sentence was manifestly excessive. SENTENCING – criminal contempt – where sentencing judge imposed a sentence of six weeks' imprisonment – whether sentencing judge erred in failing to suspend the sentence – power to suspend a sentence for criminal contempt in the Supreme Court's civil jurisdiction – whether sentence was manifestly excessive. Legislation Cited: Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) ss 3A, 8, 9, 10, 10A, 11, 12 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment (Sentencing Options) Act 2017 (NSW) sch 1 [14] Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) s 75A Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW) pt 55 r 13 Cases Cited: Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union v Mudginberri Station Pty Ltd (1986) 161 CLR 98; [1986] HCA 46 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Matthews (2009) 71 ACSR 279; [2009] NSWSC 285 Barlow v R (2008) 184 A Crim R 187; [2008] NSWCCA 96 Berryman v R [2017] NSWCCA 297 Brown v R [2006] NSWCCA 144 Cabezuela v R [2020] NSWCCA 107 Campbell v R [2018] NSWCCA 87 Cumberland Council v Khoury [2017] NSWLEC 14 Dinsdale v The Queen (2000) 202 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 54 Douar v R (2005) 159 A Crim R 154; [2005] NSWCCA 455 Dowling v Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (2018) 99 NSWLR 229; [2018] NSWCA 340 Fogg v R [2011] NSWCCA 1 Furia v R [2010] NSWCCA 326 Goodbun v R [2020] NSWCCA 77 Hayek v R [2010] NSWCCA 139 Hili v The Queen; Jones v The Queen (2010) 242 CLR 520; [2010] HCA 45 Holloway v R [2011] NSWCCA 23 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Kazal v Thunder Studios Inc (California) (2017) 256 FCR 90; [2017] FCAFC 111 Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357; [2005] HCA 25 Martinez v R [2020] NSWCCA 250 Matthews v ASIC [2009] NSWCA 155 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZVFW (2018) 264 CLR 541; [2018] HCA 30 Mirus Australia Pty Ltd v Gage [2018] NSWSC 35 Moodie v R [2020] NSWCCA 160 Obeid v R (2017) 96 NSWLR 155; [2017] NSWCCA 221 Pattalis v R [2013] NSWCCA 171 Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of NSW v A [2017] NSWSC 495 R v Elemes [2000] NSWCCA 235 R v Way (2004) 60 NSWLR 168; [2004] NSWCCA 131 R v Zamagias [2002] NSWCCA 17 Registrar of the Court of Appeal v Maniam (No 2) (1992) 26 NSWLR 309 Simmons v R [2020] NSWCCA 16 Smith v R (2020) 93 MVR 345; [2020] NSWCCA 181 Stewart v R [2009] NSWCCA 152 Sun v He [2020] NSWSC 802 Tammer-Spence v R [2013] NSWCCA 297 Turner v R [2021] NSWCCA 5 Vandeventer v R [2013] NSWCCA 33 Vuni v R [2006] NSWCCA 171 Wany v DPP [2020] NSWCA 318 Williams v The Queen (1986) 161 CLR 278; [1986] HCA 88 Wilson v R (Cth) [2020] NSWCCA 211 Windle v R [2011] NSWCCA 277 Wood v Samuels (1974) 8 SASR 465 Texts Cited: N Adams and B Baker, "Sentencing for Contempt of Court", National Judicial College of Australia and the Australian National University Sentencing Conference, 29 February 2020 New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 11 October 2017 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Xin He (aka Ethan He) (Appellant) Bo Sun (aka Michael Sun) (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: