Flowers v State of New South Wales (No 5) [2021] NSWSC 887

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Flowers v State of New South Wales (No 5) [2021] NSWSC 887 Hearing dates: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29 March 2021 and 23, 27 and 28 April 2021 Decision date: 22 July 2021 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Rothman J Decision: (1) Proceedings dismissed; (2) The plaintiff shall pay the defendant's costs of and incidental to the proceedings. Catchwords: TORTS – malicious prosecution – collateral abuse of process – elements – heavy onus to prove negative – plaintiff has not satisfied onus to prove malice or absence of reasonable and probable cause – negligence not available – immunity relating to process of litigation. Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), s 5D(1)(b) Constitution Act 1902 (NSW), ss 53(2), 72, 73 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 317 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), s 10 Crown Proceedings Act 1988 (NSW) First Statute of Westminster 1275 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 (NSW) Magna Carta Libertatum 1215, cl 61, cl 39 New South Wales Act 1823, 4 George IV, c 96 (Imp) Oaths Act 1900 (NSW), schs 2, 4, s 6, Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), ss 22, 85 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 29.2 Cases Cited: A v State of New South Wales (2007) 230 CLR 500; [2007] HCA 10 Australian Capital Territory v Crowley (2012) 7 ACTLR 142; [2012] ACTCA 52 Beckett v New South Wales (2013) 248 CLR 432; [2013] HCA 17 Bonham's Case (1610) Cabassi v Vila (1940) 64 CLR 130; [1940] HCA 41 Clavel v Savage [2013] NSWSC 775 Commonwealth Life Assurance Society Ltd v Brain (1935) 53 CLR 343; [1935] HCA 30 Cran v State of New South Wales (2004) 62 NSWLR 95; [2004] NSWCA 92 Cumming v State of New South Wales [2008] NSWSC 690 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 Dunlop v Woollahra Municipal Council [1982] AC 158 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 63 Flaherty v National Greyhound Racing Club Ltd [2005] EWCA Civ 1117 Flower & Hart (a firm) v White Industries (Qld) Pty Ltd (1999) 87 FCR 134; [1999] FCA 773 Forster v MacDonald (1995) 127 DLR (4th) 185 GAS v The Queen (2004) 217 CLR 198; [2004] HCA 22 Gesah v Ross [2013] VSC 165 Goldsmith v Sperrings Ltd [1977] 1 WLR 478; [1977] 2 All ER 566 Grant v Australian Knitting Mills Ltd (1935) 54 CLR 49; [1935] UKPCHCA 1 Green v The Queen; Quinn v The Queen (2011) 244 CLR 462; [2011] HCA 49 Gregory v Portsmouth City Council [2000] 1 AC 419; (2000) UKHL 3 Groom v State of South Australia [2017] SASEFC 35 Halech v State of South Australia (2006) 93 SASR 427; [2006] SASEC 29 Hanrahan v Ainsworth [1990] 22 NSWLR 73 Harvey v Derrick [1995] 1 NZLR 314 Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire [1989] AC 53 Imperial Oil Ltd v Attorney General of Québec [2003] 2 SCR 624 In re McC (A Minor) [1985] AC 528 Isaacson v Durant (1886) 17 QBD 54 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488; [2000] HCA 48 Kable v State of New South Wales (2010) 203 A Crim R 66; [2010] NSWSC 811 Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales (2009) 239 CLR 531; [2010] HCA 1 Le Lievre v Gould [1893] 1 QB 491 Little v The Law Institute of Victoria [1990] VR 257 Livesey v New South Wales Bar Association (1983) 151 CLR 288 at 292; [1983] HCA 17 Meissner v the Queen (1995) 184 CLR 132; [1995] HCA 41 Munnings v Australian Government Solicitor (1994) 68 ALJR 169; [1994] HCA 65 New South Wales v Klein (2006) Aust Torts Reports 81-862; [2006] NSWCA 295 North Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service Inc v Bradley (2004) 218 CLR 146; [2004] HCA 31 Northern Territory v Mengel (1995) 185 CLR 307; [1995] HCA 65 QIW Retailers Ltd v Felview Pty Ltd (1989) 7 ACLC 510; [1989] 2 Qd R 245 Quartz Hill Consolidated Gold Mining Co v Eyre (1883) 11 QBD 674 Quintano v State of New South Wales [2002] NSWSC 766 R v Australian Stevedoring Industry Board; ex parte Melbourne Stevedoring Co Pty Ltd (1953) 88 CLR 100; [1953] HCA 22 R v Skinner (1772) Lofft 54; 98 ER 529 R v Watson; Ex parte Armstrong (1976) 136 CLR 248; [1976] HCA 39 Re JRL; Ex parte CJL (1986) 161 CLR 342; [1986] HCA 39 Re Patterson; ex parte Taylor (2001) 207 CLR 391; [2001] HCA 51 Re Polites; Ex parte Hoyts Corporation Pty Ltd (1991) 173 CLR 78; [1991] HCA 31 Rickard v State of New South Wales [2010] NSWSC 151 Rush v Commissioner of Police (2006) 150 FCR 165; [2006] FCA 12 S & M Motor Repairs Pty Ltd v Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Ltd (1988) 12 NSWLR 358 Saif Ali v Sydney Mitchell & Co [1980] AC 198 Sanders v Snell (1998) 196 CLR 329; [1998] HCA 64 Shaw v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2003) 218 CLR 28; [2003] HCA 72 Sirros v Moore [1975] 1 QB 118 Spautz v Gibbs (1990) 21 NSWLR 230 State of New South Wales v Landini [2010] NSWCA 157 State of Victoria v Richards (2010) 27 VR 343; [2010] VSCA 113 Sue v Hill (1999) 199 CLR 462; [1999] HCA 30 Varawa v Howard Smith Co Ltd (1911) 13 CLR 35; [1911] HCA 46 Williams v Spautz (1992) 174 CLR 509; [1992] HCA 34 Wilson v State of New South Wales [2001] NSWSC 869; 53 NSWLR 407 Zalewski v Turcarolo [1995] 2 VR 562 Texts Cited: Sappideen & Vines, Fleming's The Law of Torts (10th ed, 2011, Lawbook Co) Year Book, 20 Hen. VI, 10; Vin. Abr. Tit. "Privilege" Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mark Stephen Flowers (Plaintiff/Applicant) State of New South Wales (Defendant/Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Self Represented (Plaintiff/Applicant) A Williams (Defendant/Respondent)