Maules Creek Coal Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority [2023] NSWCCA 275

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Maules Creek Coal Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority [2023] NSWCCA 275 Hearing dates: 27 October 2023 Date of orders: 3 November 2023 Decision date: 03 November 2023 Before: Leeming, Payne and Kirk JJA, Wilson and Fagan JJ at [1] Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal pursuant to s 5F(3)(a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW). (2) Dismiss the appeal. Catchwords: JUDGMENTS AND ORDERS — Court of Criminal Appeal — Apprehended Bias — Application for disqualification — Where trial judge made an order rejecting application to disqualify herself — Whether order made was an "interlocutory order or judgment" under s 5F(3)(a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) — Where certain line of Court of Criminal Appeal authority overtaken by subsequent High Court and Court of Appeal authority APPEALS — Leave to appeal — Aversion to granting leave where doing so may cause delay in or fragmentation of a trial COURTS AND JUDGES — Bias — Apprehended bias — Application for disqualification — Legal repugnance to judges receiving communications about a case outside court processes — Where invitation was an innocent case of mistaken identity — Necessity for apprehension of bias to be reasonable — Trial judge's decision not to disclose the meeting was erroneous but understandable — Fair-minded lay observer would not reasonably conclude that the trial judge might not bring an impartial mind to the resolution of the questions the judge is required to decide — Trial judge did not err in declining to disqualify herself Legislation Cited: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), ss 5AE, 5F, 5F(2), 5F(3)(a) District Court Act 1973 (NSW), s 127(2)(a) Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth), s 34 Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW), ss 64(1), 140(1) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 101(1) Cases Cited: AF v R [2015] NSWCCA 35 Agius v R (2011) 80 NSWLR 486; [2011] NSWCCA 119 Aussie Airlines v Australian Airlines (1996) 65 FCR 215 Bienstein v Bienstein (2003) 195 ALR 225; [2003] HCA 7 Carroll v Attorney-General for New South Wales (1993) 70 A Crim R 162 Chamoun v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2018] NSWCCA 182 Charisteas v Charisteas (2021) 273 CLR 289; [2021] HCA 29 Chief Executive Officer of Customs v Jiang (2001) 111 FCR 395; [2001] FCA 145 Chow v Director of Public Prosecutions (1992) 28 NSWLR 593 CNY17 v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2019) 268 CLR 76; [2019] HCA 50 Decision restricted [2023] NSWCCA 98 Director of Public Prosecutions Reference No 1 of 2019 (2021) 274 CLR 177; [2021] HCA 26 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 63 Farah Constructions Pty Ltd v Say-Dee Pty Ltd (2007) 230 CLR 89; [2007] HCA 22 Galea v Galea (1990) 19 NSWLR 263 Gurung v R [2012] NSWCCA 201 Isbester v Knox City Council (2015) 255 CLR 135; [2015] HCA 20 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488; [2000] HCA 48 KN v R (2017) 95 NSWLR 767; [2017] NSWCCA 249 Michael Wilson & Partners v Nicholls (2011) 244 CLR 427; [2011] HCA 48 Polsen v Harrison [2021] NSWCA 23 QYFM v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (2023) 97 ALJR 419; [2023] HCA 15 R v Bozatsis (1997) 97 A Crim R 296 R v Cheikho (2008) 75 NSWLR 323; [2008] NSWCCA 191 R v Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission; Ex parte Angliss Group (1969) 122 CLR 546; [1969] HCA 10 R v Dinh (2000) 120 A Crim R 42; [2000] NSWCCA 536 R v Reid (2004) 148 A Crim R 425; [2004] NSWCCA 301 R v Rogerson (1990) 45 A Crim R 253 R v Steffan (1993) 30 NSWLR 633 Re Alcan Australia Ltd; Ex parte Federation of Industrial, Manufacturing and Engineering Employees (1994) 181 CLR 96, [1994] HCA 34 Re JRL; Ex parte CJL (1986) 161 CLR 342; [1986] HCA 39 Re Rozenes; Ex parte Burd (1994) 68 ALJR 372, [1994] HCA 11 Rex v Justices of Bodmin; Ex parte McEwen [1947] 1 KB 321 Seymour v Attorney-General (Cth) (1984) 4 FCR 498 Sportsbet Pty Ltd v New South Wales (2012) 249 CLR 298; [2012] HCA 13 Woodhouse v Director of Public Prosecutions [2015] NSWCA 40 Texts Cited: Legislative Assembly, 17 November 1987, Hansard p 16087 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Maules Creek Coal Pty Ltd (Applicant) Environmental Protection Authority (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: T Howard SC with J Lee (Applicant) C Leggat SC with A Garsia and G Marsden (Respondent)