Willoughby City Council v Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation [2008] NSWLEC 231

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales

CITATION : Willoughby City Council v Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation [2008] NSWLEC 231

APPLICANT: Willoughby City Council PARTIES : RESPONDENT: Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation

FILE NUMBER(S) : 30213 of 2005; 30841 of 2006

CORAM: Lloyd J

KEY ISSUES: Practice and Procedure :- bias - reasonable apprehension of bias - familial association disclosed at commencement of hearing - acting commissioner's son is a partner in legal firm representing a party - logical connection is required between association and feared lack of impartiality - association is tenuous - no basis for disqualification - application dismissed

LEGISLATION CITED: Land and Environment Court Act 1979 s 7, s 37(1) and s 37(3)

Bienstein v Bienstein (2003) 195 ALR 225 Ebner v The Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2001) 205 CLR 337 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488 CASES CITED: Re JRL; Ex parte CJL (1986) 161 CLR 342 Smits v Roach (2004) 60 NSWLR 711 Smits v Roach (2006) 227 CLR 423 Webb v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 41

TEXTS CITED: Guide to Judicial Conduct (Second Edition), published for the Council of Chief Justices of Australia by the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration Inc, March 2007 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, opened for signature 16 December 1966, [1980] ATS 23, art 14(1) (entered into force 23 March 1976)