Filipowski v Bak and Anor [2004] NSWLEC 498

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Filipowski v Bak and Anor [2004] NSWLEC 498 PROSECUTOR Barbara Filipowski PARTIES : DEFENDANTS Seon Yong Bak Lucky Hill Shipping S. A. FILE NUMBER(S) : 50085 OF 2002; 50086 of 2002 CORAM: Cowdroy J KEY ISSUES: Prosecution :- marine pollution - plea of guilty - assessment of penalty - quantity of discharge LEGISLATION CITED: Marine Pollution Act 1987, s 3, s 18(1) CASES CITED: R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 DATES OF HEARING: 17/05/2004; 19/05/2004; 06/07/2004; 07/07/2004; 30/08/2004; 01/09/2004 EX TEMPORE 09/01/2004 JUDGMENT DATE :

PROSECUTOR Mr A. Meagher SC Mr A. L Hill (Barrister)

(from 06/07/2004) Mr A. L Hill (Barrister) Ms E. Yam (Barrister)

LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES: SOLICITORS Dibbs Barker Gosling

DEFENDANTS Mr G. J. Grogin (Barrister)

SOLICITORS Ebsworth and Ebsworth

JUDGMENT: IN THE LAND AND ENVIRONMENT COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Cowdroy J 1 September 2004

50085 of 2002 BARBARA FILIPOWKI v SEON YONG BAK 50086 of 2002 BARBARA FILIPOWKI v LUCKY HILL SHIPPING S.A

Judgment

Facts 1 Each defendant in these proceedings is charged with having committed an offence against s 18(1) of the Marine Pollution Act 1987 ("the Act") which relevantly provided:- (1) Subject to subsection (2) and subsections (4) to (12) (inclusive), if any discharge of a liquid substance, or of a mixture containing a liquid substance, being a substance or mixture carried as cargo or part cargo in bulk, occurs from a ship into State waters, the master and the owner of the ship, and any other person whose act caused the discharge, are each guilty of an offence punishable, upon conviction, by a fine not exceeding: (a) if the offender is a natural person—2 000 penalty units, or (b) if the offender is a body corporate—10 000 penalty units.