Director-General of the Department of Fair Trading v Vasey Housing Association NSW [2002] NSWCA 320

Reported Decision : (2002) 55 NSWLR 347

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Director-General of the Department of Fair Trading v Vasey Housing Association NSW [2002] NSWCA 320 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40959/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 3 September 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 27 September 2002

PARTIES : Director-General of the Department of Fair Trading - Appellant Vasey Housing Association NSW - Respondent JUDGMENT OF : Handley JA at 1; Sheller JA at 2; Giles JA at 3

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : Common Law Division - Administrative Law List LOWER COURT SC 30055/01 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Cooper AJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

COUNSEL : P Roberts SC & R J Bromwich - Appellant G A Flick SC & A J McInerney - Respondent SOLICITORS : D Catt, Solicitor, Department of Fair Trading - Appellant Gadens - Respondent CATCHWORDS : Administrative law - authority gives statutory notice to produce documents - recipient brings proceedings challenging its validity - recipient gives authority notice to produce various documents - documents produced - whether access should be granted to the produced documents - belief required of authority's investigator who gives the statutory notice - relevance of the produced documents to the belief or otherwise in the proceedings. D Melbourne Home of Ford Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1980) 31 ALR 519; Cain v Glass (No 2) (1985) 3 NSWLR 230; D v National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (1978) AC 171; National Employers' Mutual General Association Ltd v Waind (1978) 1 NSWLR 372; CASES CITED: R v Young (1999) 46 NSWLR 681; Sankey v Whitlam (1978) 142 CLR 1; Shannahan v Trade Practices Commission (1991) 28 FCR 239; TNT Australia Pty Ltd v Fels (1992) ATPR 41-190; W A Pines Pty Ltd v Bannerman (1980) 30 ALR 559. DECISION : (1) Appeal allowed in part; (2) Set aside the orders of Cooper AJ so far as his Honour ordered that the access to documents be on the proviso that the names, addresses and telephone numbers of residents appearing in the documents be deleted, and in lieu thereof order that the access to documents be on the proviso that any parts of the documents which identify or tend to identify residents of the respondent's retirement villages be deleted; (3) Appeal otherwise dismissed; (4) Appellant pay the respondent's costs of the appeal.