Styles v Rowley [2023] NSWSC 1053

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Styles v Rowley [2023] NSWSC 1053 Hearing dates: 29 August 2023 Date of orders: 1 September 2023 Decision date: 01 September 2023 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Griffiths AJ Decision: (1) The plaintiff has leave to file the further amended summons. (2) Leave to appeal is refused for proposed grounds 1 and 3. (3) The further amended summons dated 29 August 2023 is otherwise dismissed, with costs. Catchwords: APPEALS — Right of appeal — Source of right – Whether right to appeal under ss 39-40 or 70(1)(c) of the Local Court Act 2007 (NSW) and the jurisdiction under Pt 5 of the Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW) APPEALS — Leave to appeal — Principles governing – No issue of principle or question of public importance – Lack of proportionality between the monetary amount at issue and costs of the proceeding – Leave refused APPEALS — Right of appeal — Scope of right —Where subject matter did not raise question of law alone – Where failure to precisely identify questions of law – Whether factual findings unsupported by any evidence – Whether alleged failure to take into account mandatory relevant consideration constitutes a question of law – Whether finding of no breach of Pt 2 Div 1 Subdiv 17 cll 2.33 and 2.34 SEPP 2008 constitutes a jurisdictional fact – Whether reasons of Magistrate inadequate STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – Meaning of the phrase "to consider" in the context of s 4 of the Dividing Fences Act 1991 (NSW), where the decision-maker is required "to consider" all the circumstances of the case, including the seven specified criteria set out therein regarding what is the standard for a "sufficient dividing fence" Legislation Cited: Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 (Cth) s 44 Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2017 (NSW) ss 80, 83 Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) s 60 Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW) pt 5, ss 52, 53, 56(1)(e) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) pt 2, ch 4 Dividing Fences Act 1991 (NSW) ss 3, 4, 6, pt 3, ss 11, 12 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) s 1.4, pt 3, s 3.29, div 6.7 Eurobodalla Local Environmental Plan 2012 (LEP) Local Court Act 2007 (NSW) ss 13, 14, 39, 40, 45, 70 State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008 (NSW) cll 2.33, 2.34 Cases Cited: 4nature Inc v Centennial Springvale Pty Ltd (2017) 95 NSWLR 361; [2017] NSWCA 191 Acuthan v Coates (1986) 6 NSWLR 472 Azzopardi v Tasman UEB Industries Ltd (1985) 4 NSWLR 139 Bruce v Cole (1998) 45 NSWLR 163 Burrows v Macpherson & Kelley Lawyers (Sydney) Pty Ltd [2021] NSWCA 148 Carolan v AMF Bowling Pty Ltd t/as Bennetts Green Bowl [1995] NSWCA 69 Carrascalao v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) 252 FCR 352; [2017] FCAFC 107 Cheng v Motor Yacht Sales Australia Pty Ltd t/as the Boutique Boat Company [2022] NSWCA 118 Collector of Customs v Agfa-Gevaert Ltd (1996) 186 CLR 389; [1996] HCA 36 Commissioner of Police (NSW Police Force) v Adam [2022] NSWSC 789 Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v JM (2013) 250 CLR 135; [2013] HCA 30 DJ & LJ Norman Pty Ltd v Sheather [2022] NSWSC 1299 Fortune Food Manufacturer Pty Ltd v K Young Trading Pty Ltd [2010] NSWSC 407 Gedeon v Commissioner of the New South Wales Crime Commission (2008) 236 CLR 120; [2008] HCA 43 Haritos v Commissioner of Taxation (2015) 233 FCR 315; [2015] FCAFC 92 Hill v Vicars [2022] NSWSC 828 Huntlee Pty Ltd v Sweetwater Action Group Inc [2011] NSWCA 378 Inner West Council v Kontellis [2017] NSWLEC 57 Kostas v HIA Insurance Services Pty Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 390; [2010] HCA 32 Minister for Home Affairs v Omar (2019) 272 FCR 589; [2019] FCAFC 188 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZJSS (2010) 243 CLR 164; [2010] HCA 48 NSW Land and Housing Corporation v Orr (2019) 100 NSWLR 578; [2019] NSWCA 231 Parramatta City Council v Hale (1982) 47 LGRA 319 Schwartz Family Co Pty Ltd v Capitol Carpets Pty Ltd [2017] NSWCA 223 Strbak v Newton [1989] NSWCA 202 Targeted Property Investments Pty Ltd v Look Up Technologies Pty Ltd (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 416 Tickner v Chapman (1995) 57 FCR 451 Vetter v Lake Macquarie City Council (2001) 202 CLR 439; [2001] HCA 12 White v Director of Public Prosecutions [2021] NSWSC 1629 Zhang v Canterbury City Council (2001) 51 NSWLR 589; [2001] NSWCA 167 Texts Cited: NSW Law Reform Commission, 'Dividing Fences' (1988) Report LRC 59 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Lynette Styles (Plaintiff) Georgie Rowley (First Defendant) Brendan Faulkner (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: J Horowitz (Plaintiff) L D Corbett (Defendants)