Hamzy v Commissioner of Corrective Services NSW [2022] NSWCA 16

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Hamzy v Commissioner of Corrective Services NSW [2022] NSWCA 16 Hearing dates: 3, 4 November 2021 Decision date: 23 February 2022 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Basten JA at [6]; Leeming JA at [92] Decision: 1. Extend time in which to seek leave to appeal from the judgment of the Common Law Division dated 22 April 2020 until 24 June 2021. 2. Insofar as the summons relates to proceeding 2016/276127, (1) grant leave to appeal and dispense with the rules as to filing and service; (2) allow the appeal in respect of grounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 in the draft notice of appeal dated 28 May 2021; (3) set aside the judgment entered on 22 April 2020 dismissing the proceeding and in lieu thereof, declare that: a. cl 94(3) of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Regulation 2014 does not authorise the Commissioner to refuse a visit to an EHRR inmate by a legal practitioner for any reason other than a criminal record check; b. the Commissioner's "drop-in" policy of periodically monitoring telephone calls and AVL access to check whether (i) an EHRR inmate and the other person are speaking English and (ii) the other person is the approved recipient of the call, does not apply to communications between an EHRR inmate and that inmate's legal practitioner; (4) set aside order (1) (as to costs) made on 15 May 2020. 3. Insofar as the appeal is brought from proceeding 2016/276186, (1) grant leave to appeal; and dispense with the rules as to filing and service; (2) dismiss the appeal. 4. Dismiss the notice of motion filed 14 September 2021. 5. No order as to the costs in this Court. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – construction of regulations – validity of regulation – construction of regulation-making power – whether regulations which cut down common law rights authorised – grounds to refuse visits – application to communications with legal practitioners – Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Regulation 2014 (NSW), cl 94 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – inconsistency – State law having discriminatory impact on ethnic group – whether inconsistent with Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), ss 9, 10; Constitution, s 109 HUMAN RIGHTS – discrimination – grounds – racial discrimination – ethnic origin – restrictions on use of language – disparate impact – prison security – extreme high risk inmate – communications with family and lawyers – Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), ss 9, 10 PRISONERS – administration – supervision of visits and telephone calls – requirement to communicate in English – validity of Regulation – Commissioner's monitoring policy – validity of policy – application to legal visits and communication with legal representatives – prisoners' right to lawyer of choice and access to courts – whether criminal record check authorised – power to refuse visits by legal practitioners for any other reason STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – regulation-making power – authorising regulations limiting common law rights – sufficiency of general words – administration of prisons – rights of access to courts and legal advice – Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Regulation 2014, cll 15, 101, 116, 119 Legislation Cited: An Act to amend the Law affecting transported Convicts, with respect to Pardons and Tickets of Leave (1843) 6 Vict c 7 Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), s 7; Pt 2 Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW), Part 2A Civil Rights Act 1964 (US), Title VII Commonwealth Constitution, s 109 Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 2A, 21, 55, 79, 190, 204, 232, 235, 235B, 271, 271A, Schedules 1, 2 Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Regulation 2001, cl 81 Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Regulation 2014 (NSW), cll 15, 76-80, 82-84, 86, 91-104, 108, 110, 112, 113, 115-119A, 122 Crimes (Administration of Sentences) (Correctional Centre Routine) Regulation 1995, cl 92 Criminal Code Act 1983 (NT), s 181 Felons (Civil Proceedings) Act 1981 (NSW), s 3 Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), ss 31, 32 Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW), cl 78 Race Relations Act 1971 (NZ), s 25 Race Relations Act 1976 (UK), s 3 Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), ss 8, 9,10, 13-15; Pt II Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 75A Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (Cth) Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth), s 155 Universal Declaration of Human Rights Cases Cited: Abbas v NSW Commissioner of Police [2019] NSWSC 1841 Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement Inc v South Australia (No 1) (1995) 64 SASR 551 Airservices Australia v Canadian Airlines International Ltd (1999) 202 CLR 133; [1999] HCA 62 APLA Ltd v Legal Services Commissioner (NSW) (2005) 224 CLR 322; [2005] HCA 44 Attorney-General (South Australia) v Adelaide City Corporation (2013) 249 CLR 1; [2013] HCA 3 Azriel v NSW Land and Housing Corporation [2006] NSWCA 372 Baird v Queensland (2006) 156 FCR 451; [2006] FCAFC 162 Ballantyne v Canada UN Human Rights Committee, Communication 359, 385/1989 (31 March 1993) Baybaşin v The Netherlands [2006] ECHR 690 Belcher v Deneen (1832) Dowl Sel Cas 168 Clark v Commissioner for Corrective Services [2016] NSWCA 186 Coco v The Queen (1994) 179 CLR 427; [1994] HCA 15 Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Elzein (2017) 94 NSWLR 700; [2017] NSWCA 142 Commissioner of Corrective Services v Liristis (2018) 98 NSWLR 113; [2018] NSWCA 143 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 Daniels Corporation International Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2002) 213 CLR 543; [2002] HCA 49 Dietrich v The Queen (1992) 177 CLR 292; [1992] HCA 57 Doyle's Farm Produce Pty Ltd v Murray Darling Basin Authority (No 2) [2021] NSWCA 246 Dugan v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1978) 142 CLR 583; [1978] HCA 54 Elliott v Minister Administering Fisheries Management Act 1994 (2018) 97 NSWLR 1082; [2018] NSWCA 123 Esso Australia Pty Ltd v The Australian Workers' Union (2017) 263 CLR 551; [2017] HCA 54 Evans v State of New South Wales (2008) 168 FCR 576; [2008] FCAFC 130 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89; [2007] HCA 22 Fryske Nasjonale Partij v Netherlands (1985) 9 EHRR 240 Fyfe v State of South Australia [2000] SASC 84 Gerhardy v Brown (1985) 159 CLR 70; [1985] HCA 11 Green v Woodroffe (1828) Dowl Sel Cas 106 Griggs v Duke Power Co 401 US 424 (1971) Hamzy v Commissioner of Corrective Services [2020] NSWSC 414 Harrington v Lowe (1996) 190 CLR 311; [1996] HCA 8 Hollis v Vabu Pty Ltd (2001) 207 CLR 21; [2001] HCA 44 Iliafi v The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Australia (2014) 221 FCR 86; [2014] FCAFC 26 John Holland Pty Ltd v Victorian WorkCover Authority (2009) 239 CLR 518; [2009] HCA 45 Jones v Scully (2002) 120 FCR 243; [2002] FCA 1080 Kallinicos v Hunt (2005) 64 NSWLR 561; [2005] NSWSC 1181 King-Ansell v Police [1979] 2 NZLR 531 Knight v Victoria (2017) 261 CLR 306; [2017] HCA 29 Lambert v Weichelt (1954) 28 ALJ 282 Lazarus v Independent Commission Against Corruption (2017) 94 NSWLR 36; [2017] NSWCA 37 Lee v New South Wales Crime Commission (2013) 251 CLR 196; [2013] HCA 39 Leech, R (on the Application of) v Parkhurst Prison [1988] AC 533; [1988] UKHL 16 Mabo v Queensland (1988) 166 CLR 186; [1988] HCA 69 Macedonian Teachers' Association of Victoria Inc. v Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (1998) 160 ALR 489 Maiocchi v Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (No 4) [2016] FCA 33 Maloney v The Queen (2013) 252 CLR 168; [2013] HCA 28 Mandla v Dowell Lee [1983] 2 AC 548 Mehmet Nuri Ӧzen v Turkey (2014) 58 EHRR 27 Miller v Wertheim [2002] FCAFC 156 Minister for Resources v Dover Fisheries Pty Ltd (1993) 43 FCR 565 Minogue v Victoria (2018) 264 CLR 252; [2018] HCA 27 Munkara v Bencsevich [2018] NTCA 4 Nguyen v Refugee Review Tribunal (1997) 74 FCR 311 Nicopoulos v Commissioner for Corrective Services [2004] NSWSC 562; 148 A Crim R 74 Nusret Kaya v Turkey [2014] ECHR 408 (2nd Section) (No 43750/06 et al, 22 April 2014) Orellana-Fuentes v Standard Knitting Mills Pty Ltd (2003) 57 NSWLR 282; [2003] NSWCA 146 Patsalis v New South Wales [2012] NSWSC 267 Patsalis v New South Wales (2012) 81 NSWLR 742; [2012] NSWCA 307 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 R (Daly) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2001] UKHL 26; [2001] 2 AC 532 R v Gardener and Yeurs [1829] Dowl Sel Cas 108 R v Home Secretary; Ex parte Simms [1999] QB 349 R v Khazaal [2006] NSWSC 1353; 167 A Crim R 565 R v Maloney [2012] QCA 105 R v Secretary of State for the Home Department, Ex Parte Pierson [1998] AC 539; [1997] UKHL 37 Raymond v Honey [1983] AC 1 Reed v Commissioner of Corrective Services [2008] NSWSC 161 Ren v Jiang (No 3) [2014] NSWCA 204 Residual Assco Group Ltd v Spalvins (2000) 202 CLR 629; [2000] HCA 33 Rondel v Worsley [1969] 1 AC 191 Ruhani v Director of Police (No 2) (2005) 222 CLR 580; [2005] HCA 43 Sahak v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2002) 123 FCR 514; [2002] FCAFC 215 Shanahan v Scott (1957) 96 CLR 245; [1957] HCA 4 Smith v Commissioner of Corrective Services [1978] 1 NSWLR 317 South Australia v Tanner (1989) 166 CLR 161 TAL Life Ltd v Shuetrim (2016) 91 NSWLR 439; [2016] NSWCA 68 Técnicas Reunidas SA v Andrew [2018] NSWCA 192 Victoria v Commonwealth (1996) 187 CLR 416; [1996] HCA 56 Victoria v Macedonian Teachers' Association of Victoria Inc (1998) 91 FCR 47; [1999] FCA 1287 Waters v Public Transport Corporation (1991) 173 CLR 349; [1991] HCA 49 Western Australia v Ward (2002) 213 CLR 1; [2002] HCA 28 Williams v Melbourne Corporation (1933) 49 CLR 142; [1933] HCA 56 Wotton v Queensland (No 5) [2016] FCA 1457 Texts Cited: M Bilder, "The Corporate Origins of Judicial Review" 116 Yale Law Journal 502 (2006) W Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (Bk IV, ch 29) (2016, Oxford University Press) J Donnelly, "Judicial Review for the Convicted Felon in Australia - A Consideration of Statutory Context and the Doctrine of Attainder" (2012) 16(1) University of Western Sydney Law Review 137 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Arts 10(2), 14 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Arts 2, 5 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Arts 19, 27 S Joseph and M Castan, The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (3rd ed, 2013, Oxford University Press) D Meagher and M Groves, "The Common Law Principle of Legality and Secondary Legislation" (2016) 39(2) UNSWLJ 450 N Rees, S Rice and D Allen, Australian Anti-Discrimination & Equal Opportunity Law (3rd ed, 2018, The Federation Press) W Sadurski, "Gerhardy v Brown v The Concept of Discrimination: Reflections on the Landmark Case that Wasn't" (1986) 11 Syd Law Rev 5 R Therry, Reminiscences of Thirty Years' Residence in New South Wales and Victoria (facsimile edition 1974 of 2nd ed 1863) V Windeyer, "A Birthright and Inheritance" (1962) 1 U Tas Law Rev 635 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Bassam Hamzy (Applicant) Commissioner of Corrective Services New South Wales (First Respondent) State of New South Wales (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Applicant in person J Emmett SC, J Edwards (Respondents) C O Gleeson, M Parker (Amicus Curiae)