Fleet v District Court of NSW & Ors [1999] NSWCA 363

New South Wales Court of Appeal CITATION : Fleet v District Court of NSW & Ors [1999] NSWCA 363 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40877/98 HEARING DATE(S) : 30 April 1999 JUDGMENT DATE : 8 October 1999

Robert William Fleet v PARTIES : District Court of New South Wales RSPCA (NSW) Louise Parker JUDGMENT OF : Mason P; Priestley JA; Handley JA

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : DC 97/22/0796 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL OFFICER : Karpin DCJ

C: In person COUNSEL : 1O: Submitting 2O: P Rowe (30.4.99), D Jordan (26.8.99) 3O: D Jordan C: N/A SOLICITORS : 1O: Submitting 2O: Smythe & Mallam, St Marys 3O: Smythe & Mallam, St Marys CATCHWORDS : ANIMALS - Cruelty to animals - Diseased dog removed from premises in absence of owner - Dog euthanased pursuant to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 s26A - Elements of offence under s6(1) of this Act (aggravated cruelty) - Elements of offence under s27A (failure to provide name and address); POLICE POWERS - Arrest - Whether arrest appropriate in circumstances where service of a summons would have sufficed; PROCEDURE - Refusal of judge to state a case - Whether denial of procedural fairness in judge's refusal to entertain application to state a case; EVIDENCE - Rule in Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 - Whether basis of rejecting relevant evidence ACTS CITED : Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 Crimes Act 1900 Kovalev v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [1999] FCA 557 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 Crosthwaite v City of Elizabeth (1989) 51 SASR 105 at 111 Payless Superbarn (NSW) Pty Ltd v O'Gara (1990) 19 NSWLR 551 at 556 CASES CITED: Archer v Richard Crookes Constructions Pty Ltd (1997) 15 NSWCCR 297 at 202 Ridgeway v The Queen (1995) 184 CLR 19 at 41 Director of Public Prosecutions v Shirvanian (1998) 44 NSWLR 129 at 134 Donaldson v Broomby (1982) 60 FLR 124 at 126 Bell v Gunter, Supreme Court, Dowd J, 24 October 1997, unreported DECISION : Appeal upheld