DUNCAN v. CREWS; STANLEY v. FARLOW [2001] NSWSC 376

(2001) 161 FLR 250 Reported Decision : [2001] NSWSC 376 [2001] ACL Rep 130 NSW 159

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : DUNCAN v. CREWS; STANLEY v. FARLOW [2001] NSWSC 376 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law FILE NUMBER(S) : SC No. 11071 of 2000; No. 11804 of 2000 HEARING DATE(S) : 15 November 2000 JUDGMENT DATE : 10 May 2001

PARTIES : DUNCAN, Caroline v. CREWS, Sharon & ANOR; STANLEY, Melva Elizabeth v. FARLOW, Denise Lesley JUDGMENT OF : Greg James J at 1

LOWER COURT Local Court JURISDICTION : LOWER COURT N/A FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT S. Crews; M. Beveridge JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Duncan/Farlow: D. Bugg, QC./R. Bromwich Crews/Stanley: J. Andrews Duncan/Farlow: Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions SOLICITORS : Crews: I.V. Knight (submitting appearance) Stanley/Pile: D. Humphreys CATCHWORDS : Criminal law - summary prosecutions - destroyed evidence - power to stay proceedings - necessary criteria for exercise of power - applicability in New South Wales of decision in Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency v. Bourke - availability of remedies other than stay - availability of acquittal - Bourke not decisive in New South Wales of when a stay should be granted. Justice Act 1902 Social Security Act 1991 LEGISLATION CITED : Crimes Act (Cth) 1914 Evidence Act 1995 Archives Act 1983 Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency v. Bourke (Wicks, J., unreported 16 April 1999) Williams v. Spautz (1992) 174 CLR 509 Walton v. Gardiner (1993) 177 CLR 378 Jago v. District Court of New South Wales (1989) 168 CLR 23 Holmden v. Bitar (1987) 47 SASR 509 Crawford v. Bickar (1987) 75 ALR 522 CASES CITED : Heinze v. Burnley (1992) 57 SASR 452 Adler (CCA, unreported 11 June 1992) Goldburg (CCA, unreported 23 February 2993) Tolmie (CCA, unreported 7 December 1994) Davis (1995) 81 A. Crim. R. 156 Reeves (1994) 122 ACTR 1 May v. O'Sullivan (1955) 92 CLR 654 Barton (1980) 147 CLR 75 DECISION : Duncan v. Crews: Magistrate erred; Stanley v. Farlow: Magistrate did not err