El Hassan v NSW DPP & Anor [2000] NSWCA 330

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : El Hassan v NSW DPP & Anor [2000] NSWCA 330 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40519/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 9 November 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 20 November 2000

Nathil (Neil) El Hassan (Claimant) v PARTIES : New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions (First Opponent)

District Court of New South Wales (Second Opponent) JUDGMENT OF : Meagher JA at 1; Beazley JA at 4; Davies AJA at 5

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT 99/22/0398 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Hosking DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

C: Mr A J Bellanto QC, Mr W C Barber COUNSEL : 1O: Mr P A Johnson SC 2O: Submitting Appearance C: Grahame W Howe & Co SOLICITORS : 1O: S E O'Connor 2O: I V Knight, Crown Solicitor's Office CATCHWORDS : Judicial Review - certiorari sought in relation to judgment of District Court of NSW - whether denial of natural justice - whether the grant of leave by the Court to amend notice of appeal to appeal against sentence only denied claimant's right to pursue defence of honest and reasonable mistake - nature of defence of honest and reasonable mistake. Supreme Court Act 1970, s 69 LEGISLATION CITED : Traffic Act 1909, s 7A Justices Act 1902, ss 131A, 132, 146 He Kaw Teh v The Queen (1985) 157 CLR 523 R v Wampfler (1987) 11 NSWLR 541 Maher v Hodgson (Studdert J, 20/4/90, unrep) Maxwell v The Queen (1996) 184 CLR 501 CASES CITED: R v Clarence Hugh Jones (CCA, 14/4/94, unrep) R v Toro-Martinez [2000] NSWCCA 216 Ex parte Blackwell; Re Hateley (1965) 83 WN(NSW) 109 Anderson v Judges of the District Court of NSW (1992) 27 NSWLR 701 Parker v DPP (1992) 28 NSWLR 282 DECISION : Summons dismissed with costs.