Burwood Council v Ruan [2008] NSWLEC 167

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Burwood Council v Ruan [2008] NSWLEC 167

APPLICANT: Burwood Council PARTIES : RESPONDENTS: Han Wen Ruan and Xiang Hua Zhao

FILE NUMBER(S) : 40996 of 2006

CORAM: Biscoe J

KEY ISSUES: Contempt :- Disobedience of a court order - meaning of disobedience - classes of contempt - sentencing for contempt - whether fine should be apportioned when two contemnors disobey an order that binds each - whether consent order prohibiting a use of premises pre-supposed a use that was in breach of a development consent condition.

Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), s 21A LEGISLATION CITED: Land and Environment Court Rules 2007 (NSW), Pt 3 r 9 Supreme Court Rules 1970 (NSW), Pt 55 r 13 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 40.6

Ainsworth v Hanrahan (1991) 25 NSWLR 155 Attorney-General v Times Newspapers Ltd [1992] 1 AC 191 Attorney-General (NSW) v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1980] 1 NSWLR 362 Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union v Mudginberri Station Proprietary Limited (1986) 161 CLR 98 Bankstown City Council v Attalah [2000] NSWLEC 133 Blue Mountains City Council v Fowler [2007] NSWLEC 476 Campbelltown City Council v Toth [2005] NSWLEC 186 EPA v Thaler [2005] NSWLEC 109 Environment Protection Authority v Ableway Waste Management Pty Limited [2005] NSWLEC 469 Environment Protection Authority v Waight [2003] NSWLEC 124 Fairclough & Sons v Manchester Ship Canal Co (1897) 41 Sol Jo 225 Greater Hume Shire Council v J & L Cauchi Civil Contracting Pty Ltd [2006] NSWLEC 738 Harkianakis v Skalkos (No 2) (unreported, NSWCA, 15/10/07) Lade & Co. Pty Limited v Black [2006] 2 Qd R 531 CASES CITED: M v Home Office [1994] 1 AC 377 Manly Council v Arslan [2005] NSWLEC 646 Newcastle City Council v Leaway Pty Limited [2005] NSWLEC 305 Owners Strata Plan 37762 v Pham (No 2) [2007] NSWLEC 306 Parramatta City Council v Roy D R Services Pty Limited [2005] NSWLEC 756 Pelechowski v The Registrar, Court of Appeal (NSW) (1999) 198 CLR 435 Principal Registrar of Supreme Court of NSW v Jando (2001) 53 NSWLR 527 Principal Registrar of Supreme Court (NSW) v Tran (2006) 166 A Crim R 393 R v Razzak (2006) 166 A Crim R 132 R v Thomson; R v Houlton (2000) 49 NSWLR 383 Registrar of the Court of Appeal v Maniam [No 2] (1992) 26 NSWLR 309 South Sydney City Council v Sunny Soon Kiat Liu [1998] NSWLEC 298 Steiner Products Ltd v Willy Steiner Ltd [1966] 1 WLR 986; [1966] 2 All ER 387 Witham v Holloway (1995) 183 CLR 525 Wood v Staunton (No 5) (1996) 86 A Crim R 183