Bigatton v R [2024] NSWCCA 23

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Bigatton v R [2024] NSWCCA 23 Hearing dates: 7 February 2024 Date of orders: 23 February 2024 Decision date: 23 February 2024 Before: Ward P at [1]; Lonergan J at [185]; Sweeney J at [186] Decision: 1. Leave to appeal granted. 2. Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE – Indictment – where Crown case relied on multiple potential principals and several instances of alleged provision of financial advice in proof of a single count of contravening ss 911B(1) and 1311(1) of the Corporations Act – where trial judge had declined to quash or permanently stay indictment – whether the identification of multiple principals failed to allege an offence known to law – whether the identification of multiple principals was in contravention of the rule against duplicity – whether the identity of the principal is a factual matter that must be pleaded in order to avoid uncertainty in the charge – whether the number of potential principals and instances of provision of alleged advice was an abuse of process. CRIMINAL PROCEDURE – Indictment – where indictment did not address the exculpatory condition in s 911B(1)(e) – whether indictment fails to aver an offence known to law by failing to allege all of the necessary conditions to make out an offence. Legislation Cited: Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth), s 23 Commonwealth Criminal Code, s 11.5 Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), Pt 1.2 Div 3, ss 20, 601EB, 601 ED, Ch 7, ss 761A, 761C, 761E, 761F, 761FA, 763A, 766A, 766B, 911A, 911B, 913A, 913B, 915B, 1311 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5F Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), ss 16, 141, 142 Cases Cited: Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd v Philip Morris Inc (1981) 148 CLR 170; [1981] HCA 39 Area Concrete Pumping Pty Ltd v Childs [2012] NSWCA 208 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Monarch FX Group Pty Ltd [2014] FCA 1387 Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Oxford Investments (Tasmania) Pty Ltd (2008) 169 FCR 522; [2008] FCA 980 Blue Metal Industries Ltd v Dilley (1969) 117 CLR 651 Boujaoude v R (2008) 72 NSWLR 85; [2008] NSWCCA 35 Bova v Avati [2009] NSWSC 921 Broome v Chenoweth (1946) 73 CLR 583; [1946] HCA 53 Coghill v Indochine Resources Pty Ltd [2015] FCA 377 Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Luis Knopp (a Pseudonym) [2023] VSCA 315 Day v Ocean Beach Hotel Shellharbour Pty Ltd (2013) 85 NSWLR 335; [2013] NSWCA 250 Doja v R [2009] NSWCCA 303 DSJ v R; NS v R [2014] NSWCCA 77 Environment Protection Agency v Truegain Pty Ltd (2013) 85 NSWLR 125; [2013] NSWCCA 204 Ex parte Lovell; re Buckley (1938) 38 SR (NSW) 153 Fair Work Ombudsman v Eastern Colour Pty Ltd [2011] FCA 803 Fowles v Eastern and Australian Steamship Company Ltd [1916] 2 AC 556 FP Group Pty Ltd v Tooheys Pty Ltd (2013) 238 IR 239; [2013] FWCFC 9605 GLJ v The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Lismore [2023] HCA 32 GPI (General) Pty Ltd v Industrial Court of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 157 Hannes v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (No 2) [2006] NSWCCA 373 Hasler v Singtel Optus Pty Ltd (2014) 87 NSWLR 609; [2014] NSWCA 266 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499; [1936] HCA 40 Industrial Equity Limited v Lyons (NSWSC unreported, Cohen J, 15 October 1991) John L Pty Ltd v Attorney-General (NSW) (1987) 163 CLR 508 at 519; [1987] HCA 42 Johnson v Miller (1937) 49 CLR 467; [1937] HCA 77 Lam v R [2024] NSWCCA 6 Laugher v Pointer (1826) 5 B & C 547; 108 ER 204 Lodhi v R [2006] NSWCCA 121 Morgan Kittochside Nominees Pty Ltd (2002) 117 IR 152 Oceanic Crest Shipping Company v Pilbara Harbour Services Pty Ltd (1986) 160 CLR 626; [1986] HCA 34 Pearson v Minister for Home Affairs (2022) 295 FCR 177; [2022] FCAFC 203 Pitcher v Langford (1991) 23 NSWLR 142 R v Aniba (1995) 83 A Crim R 224 R v Bigatton (No 3) [2023] NSWDC 290 R v Bigatton (No 4) [2023] NSWDC 458 R v Einfeld (No 2) (2008) 71 NSWLR 31; [2008] NSWCCA 215 R v Glynn (1994) 33 NSWLR 139 R v Hamzy (1994) 74 A Crim R 341 R v Isaac (1996) 87 A Crim R 513 R v Janceski (2005) 64 NSWLR 10; [2005] NSWCCA 281 R v Jasper [2003] NSWSC 285 R v Mai (1991) 26 NSWLR 371 R v MAJW [2007] NSWCCA 145 R v Matovski (1989) 15 NSWLR 720 R v McVitie [1960] 2 QB 483 R v Pople [1951] 1 KB 53 Re Will of F B Gilbert (deceased) (1946) 46 SR (NSW) 318 Rockdale Beef Pty Ltd v Industrial Relations Commission of NSW [2007] NSWCA 128 S v The Queen (1989) 168 CLR 266; [1989] HCA 66 Smith v Moody (1093) 1 KB 56 The King v Boston (1923) 33 CLR 386; [1923] HCA 59 Tonari v R [2013] NSWCCA 232 United Dominions Corporations Ltd v Brian Pty Ltd (1985) 157 CLR 1; [1985] HCA 49 Various Claimants v Catholic Child Welfare Society [2012] UKSC 56; [2012] 3 WLR 319 Viasystems (Tyneside) Ltd v Thermal Transfer (Northern) Ltd [2005] EWCA Civ 1151; [2006] QB 510 Warren v Coombes (1979) 142 CLR 531; [1979] HCA 9 Woodland v Swimming Teachers Association [2013] UKSC 66; [2014] AC 537 Texts Cited: House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation, Parliament of Australia, Making it Work (August 2005) Macken's Law of Employment, 3 – Labour Hire at (online at 14 February 2024) Category: Principal judgment Parties: John Louis Anthony Bigatton (Applicant) Rex (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: C Parkin (Applicant) A Williams and M Clifford-O'Sullivan (Respondent)