McGuirk v Director General, Attorney General's Department (GD) [2007] NSWADTAP 38

Appeal Panel - Internal

CITATION: McGuirk v Director General, Attorney General's Department (GD) [2007] NSWADTAP 38

APPELLANT PARTIES: Michael McGuirk RESPONDENT Director General, Attorney General's Department

FILE NUMBER: 069063

HEARING DATES: 15 May 2007

SUBMISSIONS CLOSED: 15 May 2007

DATE OF DECISION: 26 July 2007

BEFORE: Hennessy N - Magistrate (Deputy President); Molony P - Judicial Member; Blake C - Non Judicial Member

CATCHWORDS: Freedom of Information Act - access to documents - legal professional privilege - waiver - furtherance of wrong doing - Administrative Decisions Tribunal Act - discretion to disclose exempt documents - duty to give reasons - procedural fairness - extend to merits

MATTER FOR DECISION: Principal matter

FILE NUMBER UNDER APPEAL: 053361, 053237

DATE OF DECISION UNDER APPEAL: 09/12/2006

Evidence Act 1995 Freedom of Information Act 1989 LEGISLATION CITED : Guardianship Act 1987 Interpretation Act 1987 Protected Disclosures Act 1994

Attorney-General (NT) v Kearney (1985) 158 CLR 500 AWB v Cole (No 5) [2006] FCA 1234 Beale v Government Insurance Office of New South Wales (1997) 48 NSWLR 430 Collector of Customs v Pozzolanic Enterprises Pty Ltd (1993) 43 FCR 280 Commissioner of Australian Federal Police v Propend Finance Pty Ltd (1997) 188 CLR 501 Criminal Justice Commission v Connolly [1997] 2 Qd R 586 Daniels Corp International Pty Limited v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2002] HCA 49 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337 Eggins v Brooms Head Bowling and Recreational Club Ltd (1986) 5 NSWLR 521 Esso Australia Resources Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (1999) 201 CLR 49 Fitzgerald v Director of Public Prosecutions (unreported, September 1991, Court of Appeal) Industrial Equity Ltd v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation (1990) 170 CLR 649 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488 K v K [2000] NSWSC 1052 CASES CITED: Klewer v Dutch [2000] FCA 509 Law Society of New South Wales v General Manager, Workcover Authority of New South Wales [2004] NSWADTAP 40 Leach v R (2007) 232 ALR 325 Lloyd v Veterinary Surgeons Investigating Committee [2005] NSWCA 456 Mann v Carnell (1999) 201 CLR 1 Minister for Immigration & Ethnic Affairs v Wu Shan Liang & Ors (1996) 185 CLR 259 Neary v The Treasurer, New South Wales [2002] NSWADT 261 Obradovic v Commissioner for Fair Trading, Office of Fair Trading (No 2) (GD) [2006] NSWADTAP 45 Pettitt v Dunkley [1971] 1 NSWLR 376 Public Service Board of New South Wales v Osmond (1986) 159 CLR 656 Re Attorney General of New South Wales v Klewer [2003] NSWCA 295 Re R [2000] NSWSC 886 (17 August 2000) S v S [2001] NSWSC 146 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247 Trade Practices Commissioner v Sterling (1979) 36 FLR 244 University of New South Wales v McGuirk [2006] NSWSC 1362