Elcham & Anor v Commissioner of Police & Ors [2001] NSWSC 614

Reported Decision : 53 NSWLR 7 125 A Crim R 162

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Elcham & Anor v Commissioner of Police & Ors [2001] NSWSC 614 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law Division FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 11679/00 HEARING DATE(S) : 10/10/00;3/11/00;15/12/00;8/2/01 JUDGMENT DATE : 27 July 2001

PARTIES : Joe Elcham & Anor v Commissioner of Police & Ors JUDGMENT OF : O'Keefe J

LOWER COURT Licensing Court of NSW JURISDICTION : LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Denis A Collins JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : Mr M J Heath - For Plaintiffs Mr M S Spartalis - For Defendant For Plaintiffs Adam Stack & Co Bondi Junction NSW

For 1st Defendant Michael N Holmes SOLICITORS : NSW Police Darlinghurst NSW

For 3rd Defendant I V Knight Crown Solicitor Sydney CATCHWORDS : Licencing Law - Closure order for short term - Jurisdictional requirements - Satisfaction of authorised justice, not applicant, required - Matters to be proved - Onus of proof - Standard of proof - Difference between satisfaction, belief and suspicion - Effect of accumulation of events - Necessary - Possession, use and sale of drugs on licensed premises - In charge of licensed premises applies to servant as well as person Liquor Act 1982 ss 104A;104B;104C;116B;125;125E;126 LEGISLATION CITED : Controlled Operations Act 1999 Queensland Criminal Code s.679 George v Rockett (1990) 170 CLR 105 Coco v The Queen (1993-1994) 179 CLR 427 at 436-437 Parker v Churchill (1985) 9 FCR 316 at 322 Commissioner of Police v Atkinson (1991) 23 NSWLR 495 The Commonwealth and Post-Master General v The Progress Advertising and Press Agency Co Pty Limited (1910) 10 CLR 457 Ronpibon Tin NL v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1948-1949) 78 CLR 47 CASES CITED : Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Snowden & Willson Pty Limited (1958) 99 CLR 431 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Broken Hill Proprietary Co Limited (1967-1969) 120 CLR 240 State Drug Crime Commission of NSW v Chapman (1988) 12 NSWLR 447 Pelechowski v Registrar of Court of Appeal (NSW) (1999) 198 CLR 435 Attorney General v Walker (1849) 3 EX 242 ;154 ER 833 Deatons Pty Limited v Flew (1949) 79 CLR 370 Martin v Osborne (1936) 55 CLR 367 Hindmarch and Anor v Commissioner of Police and Ors (Master Malpass, Supreme Court, 4 December 1998, unreported except in Butterworths Unreported Judgments, BC 9806455) DECISION : Summons dismissed with costs.