McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Limited v Environment Protection Authority [2000] NSWCCA 367

Reported Decision : 50 NSWLR 127

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : McConnell Dowell Constructors (Aust) Pty Limited v Environment Protection Authority [2000] NSWCCA 367 FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60127/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 10 August 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 13 September 2000

PARTIES : McConnell Dowell Cosntructors (Aust) Pty Limited Environment Protection Authority JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Grove J at 94; Kirby J at 95

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Land and Environment Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : 50009/99 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL Pearlman J OFFICER :

COUNSEL : J L Glissan QC (McConnell Dowell) J Kelly (EPA) SOLICITORS : Doyles Construction Lawyers (McConnell Dowell) Stephen Garrett (EPA) CATCHWORDS : CRIMINAL LAW - jurisdiction of Court of Criminal Appeal in stated case - "question of law" Criminal Appeal Act 1912, s5AE - CRIMINAL LAW - procedure - summons must disclose essential ingredients of offence - CRIMINAL LAW - coercive orders, Land and Environment Court Act 1979 s41 - no requirement for judge to be satisfied of prima facie case against a defendant Clean Waters Act 1970 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 Environmental Offences and Penalties Act 1989 LEGISLATION CITED : Land and Environment Court Act 1979 Pesticides Act 1978 Land and Environment Court Rules 1996 Supreme Court Rules 1970 Attorney-General (Commonwealth) v Oates (1999) 164 ALR 393 Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority (1992) 29 NSWLR 497 Baker v Macleod (Land and Environment Court, 1 August 1986, unreported) Barton v The Queen (1980) 147 CLR 75 Berwin v Donohoe (1915) 21 CLR 1 Brownlie v State Pollution Control Commission (1992) 27 NSWLR 78 Collector of Customs v Agfa-Gevaert Limited (1995-1996) 186 CLR 389 Director of Public Prosecutions v Humphrys [1977] AC 1 Director of Public Prosecutions, South Australia v B (1998) 194 CLR 566 Environment Protection Authority v Bathurst City Council (1995) 89 LGERA 79 Gatacre v Soil Conservation Service of NSW (1992) 78 LGERA 379 Goldsborough & Co v MacMahon (1887) 8 NSWLR 118 Johnson v Miller (1937) 59 CLR 467 McDonnell v Smith (1918) 24 CLR 409 CASES CITED: Maxwell v The Queen (1996) 184 CLR 501 Mousell Bros Limited v London and North Western Railway Co [1917] 2 KB 836 Oates v Attorney-General (Commonwealth) (1998) 156 ALR 1 Palos Verdes Estates Pty Ltd v Carbon (1991) 6 WAR 223 R v Australasian Films Limited (1921) 29 CLR 195 R v Bacon & Cox [1973] 1 NSWLR 87 R v Cain [1976] 1 QB 496 R v Cassell (New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal, 24 July 1996, unreported) R v Dossi (1918) 13 CrAppR 158 R v Stringer [2000] NSWCCA 243 R v VHP (New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal, 7 July 1997, unreported) Stanton v Abernathy (1990) 19 NSWLR 656 Taylor v Environment Protection Authority [2000] NSWCCA 71 Tiger Nominees Pty Ltd v State Pollution Control Commission (1992) 25 NSWLR 715 Traveland Pty Limited v Doherty (1982) 63 FLR 41 Water Board v Environment Protection Authority (1994) 83 LGERA 174 DECISION : The Court should answer the questions as follows; 3(i) Decline to Answer; 3(ii) Yes; 3(iii) Decline to Answer; 3(iv) Decline to Answer; 3(v) Decline to Answer; 3(vi) No with respect to Part 75 rule 9, otherwise, decline to Answer; 4(i) Yes.