Darlington v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2023] NSWSC 1139

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Darlington v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2023] NSWSC 1139 Hearing dates: 30 August 2023 Date of orders: 20 September 2023 Decision date: 20 September 2023 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Dhanji J Decision: (1) Pursuant to ss 52(1) and 55(1)(b) of the Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), the appeal is allowed. (2) The decision of the learned Magistrate in the Murwillumbah Local Court dated 10 November 2022 is set aside. (3) The matter is remitted to the Local Court to be dealt with according to law. (4) Any further hearing of the matter is to be heard by a different Magistrate. Catchwords: CRIME – appeal and review – appeal from Local Court to Supreme Court – self-defence – meaning of "conviction" as used in ss 52 and 53 of the Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW) – failure to apply the correct test with respect to self-defence – failure to engage with the submissions made for the accused – failure to give reasons why submissions for the accused were not accepted – adequacy of reasons – lack of respect to the accused and the accused's representative – appeal allowed – matter remitted to Local Court Legislation Cited: Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1986 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW) Cases Cited: AB v R [2022] NSWCCA 104 Abdallah v R [2016] NSWCCA 34 Acuthan v Coates (1986) 6 NSWLR 472 AK v Western Australia (2008) 232 CLR 438; [2008] HCA 8 Day v SAS Trustee Corporation [2021] NSWCA 71 Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v Illawarra Cashmart Pty Ltd (2006) 67 NSWLR 402; [2006] NSWSC 343 DL v The Queen (2018) 266 CLR 1; [2018] HCA 26 Dranichnikov v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2003) 77 ALJR 1088; [2003] HCA 26 Garay v The Queen (No 3) [2023] ACTCA 2 Health Care Complaints Commission v Robinson [2022] NSWCA 164 Humphreys v R [2023] NSWCCA 205 Keys v West (2006) 65 NSWLR 668; [2006] NSWSC 136 Lee, Matthew v R [2016] NSWCCA 146 Maxwell v The Queen (1996) 184 CLR 501; [1996] HCA 46 Ming v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (2022) 109 NSWLR 604; [2022] NSWCA 209 Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs v Thornton [2023] HCA 17; (2023) 97 ALJR 488 Orr v Cobar Management Pty Ltd (2020) 103 NSWLR 36; [2020] NSWCCA 220 Pollard v RRR Corporation Pty Ltd [2009] NSWCA 110 R v Abdallah (2001) 127 A Crim R 46; [2001] NSWCCA 506 R v Honeysett (1987) 10 NSWLR 638 R v Katarzynski [2002] NSWSC 613 Regina v PRFN [2000] NSWCCA 230 Resource Pacific Pty Ltd v Wilkinson [2013] NSWCA 33 Maynard (1993) 70 A Crim R 133 Selkirk v Director of Public Prosecutions [2020] NSWSC 1590 Shepherd v Nestoriadis [2015] NSWSC 348 The King v Jacobs Group (Australia) Pty Ltd (2023) 97 ALJR 595; [2023] HCA 23 Wainohu v State of New South Wales (2011) 243 CLR 181; [2011] HCA 24 Waterways Authority v Fitzgibbon (2005) 79 ALJR 1816; [2005] HCA 57 Wise v Schneider [2015] NSWSC 725 Woodland v R [2023] NSWCCA 216 Texts Cited: Herbert Broom, Constitutional Law viewed in relation to Common Law and exemplified by cases (1st ed, 1866) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jake Darlington (Plaintiff) Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: M Avenell with I Hogan (Plaintiff) E Sullivan (Defendant)