Commissioner of NSW Police v Murphy [2024] NSWSC 617

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Commissioner of NSW Police v Murphy [2024] NSWSC 617 Hearing dates: 19 February 2024 Date of orders: 23 May 2024 Decision date: 23 May 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Hamill J Decision: (1) Summons dismissed (2) The plaintiff is to pay the defendant's costs of and incidental to the proceedings in this court Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – where plaintiff seeks certiorari and declaratory relief – jurisdictional error – improper purpose – application for revocation of apprehended violence order (AVO) – where application brought before expiry of order – where court unable to deal with revocation application – where extension of AVO sought to enable it to be revoked – whether extension made for an improper purpose – purpose extraneous to objects of domestic violence legislation – revocation sought to avoid disqualification from applying for firearms licence – whether improper purpose – litigant's motivation does not equate to Magistrate's purpose COURTS AND JUDGES – obligation of courts to deal with controversies brought before them – requirement to act expeditiously – the ugly issue of court delays – the oppressive workload of local courts – litigants at the mercy thereof JUDGMENTS AND ORDERS – entry of orders on computer system – where orders entered incomplete or obviously wrong – rule 36.11 – Kafka Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW), s 56(1) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), s 61 Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), ss 9, 13(1), 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 24A, 25, 26, 27, 28, 28A, 28B, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 33A, 34, 34A, 72A, 73, 79A(2) Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (Review) Act 2016 (NSW) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), sub-ss 10(1)(a) and (3) Firearms Act 1996 (NSW), ss 11(5)(c), 39(1)(a) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 36.11 Cases Cited: Australian National Industries v Spedley Securities Ltd (in liq) (1992) 26 NSWLR 411 Chase Oyster Bar Pty Ltd v Hamo Industries Pty Ltd (2010) 78 NSWLR 393; [2010] NSWCA 190 Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Meredith (No 2) (2008) 75 NSWLR 462; [2008] NSWCA 133 Devitt v Ross [2018] NSWSC 1675 Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v Kmetyk [2018] NSWCA 156 Gault v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2022] NSWCATAD 370 John Alexander's Clubs Pty Ltd v White City Tennis Club Ltd (2010) 241 CLR 1; [2010] HCA 19 Majumdar v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2024] NSWCA 117 Mills v Futhem Pty Ltd (2011) 81 NSWLR 538; [2011] NSWCA 252 Newmont Yandal Operations Pty Ltd v The J Aron Corporation (2007) 70 NSWLR 411; [2007] NSWCA 195 Sanhueza v AAMI Limited [2010] NSWSC 1374 Tonab Investments Pty Ltd v Optima Developments Pty Ltd (2015) 90 NSWLR 268; [2015] NSWCA 287 Wass v Director of Public Prosecution (NSW) (2023) 111 NSWLR 210; [2023] NSWCA 71 Texts Cited: Explanatory Note, Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (Review) Bill 2016 (NSW) New South Wales, Department of Justice, Statutory Review of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), (2015) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Commissioner of NSW Police (Plaintiff) Peter Michael Murphy (Defendant) Local Court of New South Wales (Interested party) Representation: Counsel: D Reynolds (Plaintiff)