Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales; Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales; Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales; Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales; Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales [2025] NSWDC 28

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales; Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales; Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales; Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales; Reyes-Carrion v State of New South Wales [2025] NSWDC 28 Hearing dates: 10-14, 17-18 February 2025 Date of orders: 25 February 2025 Decision date: 25 February 2025 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Newlinds SC DCJ Decision: Orders at [249]-[250] Catchwords: TORTS – False imprisonment – Assault and battery – Trespass to goods – Repeated searches of plaintiffs by police – Power of police officers to stop, search, and detain STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION – Proper construction of ss 21 and 36 of LEPRA – Reasonable grounds for suspicion – Objective test – Proper application – Necessary to prove specifics of grounds taken into account – Whether police officer has reasonable grounds for forming a suspicion so as to enliven powers to stop and search pursuant to ss 21 and 36 of LEPRA STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION – Lawful exercise of powers – Proper construction of s 204A of LEPRA CONSENT – Consent in context of an understanding that power will be exercised in any event – Consent in context of command or direction by police officer DAMAGES – General damages – Circumstances necessary for award of aggravated or exemplary damages – No award of aggravated or exemplary damages Legislation Cited: Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW) Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s 386 Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW) s 21; s 30; s 36; s 202; s 204A Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW) s 3 of Schedule 3 Cases Cited: AD v State of NSW [2023] NSWCA 115 Anderson v Judges of District Court (NSW) (1992) 27 NSWLR 701 Buck v Bavone (1976) 135 CLR 110 Bunning v Cross (1978) 141 CLR 54 Carvana v State of New South Wales [2024] NSWSC 254 Coleman v Power (2004) 220 CLR 1; [2004] HCA 39 Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) v Leonard (2001) 53 NSWLR 227 George v Rockett [1990] HCA 26; (1990) 170 CLR 104 Ghanem v State of New South Wales [2024] NSWDC 213 Hrdavec v New South Wales [2022] NSWCA 52 Hyder v Commonwealth of Australia [2012] NSWCA 336; (2012) 217 A Crim R 571 Jankovic v Director of Public Prosecutions [2020] NSWCA 31 Madden v State of New South Wales [2022] NSWDC 647 McKinnon v Secretary, Department of Treasury [2006] HCA 45; (2006) 228 CLR 423 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Eshetu (1999) 197 CLR 611 Mohebatullah Mohazab v. Dick Smith Electronics Pty Ltd [1995] IRCA 645 (29 November 1995) Murphy v State of New South Wales [2023] NSWSC 407 New South Wales v Randall [2017] NSWCA 88 O'Connor v R (2009/271288 – unreported, District Court of New South Wales, 12 August 2010) R v Bossley [2015] 2 Qd R 102 R v Buddee [2016] NSWDC 422 R v Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commissioner [2015] VSC 374 R v Large [2019] NSWDC 627 R v Zhang [2022] NSWDC 457 Reeves v State of NSW [2024] NSWCA 125 Ruddock v Taylor (2005) 222 CLR 612 Secretary, Department of Health & Community Services v JWB & SMB (Marion's case) (1992) 175 CLR 218 Smith v Corrective Services Commission (NSW) [1980] HCA 49; (1980) 147 CLR 134 State of New South Wales v Corbett [2007] HCA 32; (2007) 230 CLR 606 Williams v Keelty (2001) 111 FCRJ; [2001] FCA 1301 Williams v The Queen [1986] HCA 88; (1986) 161 CLR 278 Zaravinos v State of New South Wales (2004) 62 NSWLR 58 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Mauricio Reyes-Carrion (Plaintiff 1) Roberto Reyes (Plaintiff 2) State of New South Wales (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: A Canceri (Plaintiffs) C Langford (Defendant)