Burton v Babb [2023] NSWCA 242

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Burton v Babb [2023] NSWCA 242 Hearing dates: 27 September 2023 Decision date: 12 October 2023 Before: Adamson JA at [1]; Simpson AJA at [60] Decision: (1) Refuse leave to appeal. (2) Order the applicant to pay the respondents' costs of the application. Catchwords: LEAVE TO APPEAL — TORTS — applicant charged in Local Court for posting material in apparent breach of suppression order — charges withdrawn as order unenforceable — proceedings commenced against respondents for damages for malicious prosecution — elements of tort not made out — alleged failure of District Court judge to provide reasons, in ignoring essential evidence and finding no proof of damages — whether respondents prosecutors for purposes of tort — applicant failed to identify any issue of principle, question of public importance or reasonably clear injustice COSTS — applicant alleged error in costs order in circumstances where no costs personally incurred by defendants — whether CSO acting without instructions of named defendants — no evidence adduced to challenge retainer — defendants covered individuals for purposes of State of NSW self-insurance arrangement — State entitled to conduct proceedings on behalf of defendants subject to duty of good faith Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 98 Court Suppression and Non-publication Orders Act 2010 (NSW) District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 8 Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1986 (NSW), s 9 Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 (NSW), s 8 Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), s 44 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 101 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 42.1 Cases Cited: Burton v Babb (District Court (NSW), Weber SC DCJ, 23 May 2023, unrep) Burton v Babb [2020] NSWCA 331 Burton v Local Court of New South Wales [2019] NSWSC 191 Burton v Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions [2019] NSWCA 245 Davis v Gell (1924) 35 CLR 275; [1924] HCA 56 Doulaveras v Daher [2009] NSWCA 58 Hawksford v Hawksford [2005] NSWSC 463; (2005) 191 FLR 173 Jaycar Pty Ltd v Lombardo [2011] NSWCA 284 Pettitt v Dunkley (1971) 1 NSWLR 376 Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services v Smith (2017) 95 NSWLR 597; [2017] NSWCA 206 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 State of New South Wales v Landini [2010] NSWCA 157 State of New South Wales v Spedding [2023] NSWCA 180 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Paul Robert Burton (Applicant) Lloyd Babb (First Respondent) Michael Coutts-Trotter (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Applicant (self-represented) G Bateman (Respondents)