Wentworth v Rogers [2002] NSWSC 1198

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Wentworth v Rogers [2002] NSWSC 1198 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law Division FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 13494/01; 13492/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 30/10/02 JUDGMENT DATE : 16 December 2002

Katherine Wentworth - First Plaintiff PARTIES : Salvatore Russo - Second Plaintiff Gordon John Rogers - Defendant JUDGMENT OF : Barrett J

First Plaintiff in person COUNSEL : Ms V Culkoff - Second Plaintiff Mr P J Beazley, Solicitor - Defendant First Plaintiff in person SOLICITORS : Russo & Partners - Second Plaintiff Beazley Singleton - Defendant CATCHWORDS : PROCEDURE - courts and judges generally - apprehended bias - application that judge set aside judgment and orders because of failure to disclose matters alleged to ground reasonable apprehension of actual bias - application that judge disqualify himself from hearing particular future proceedings because judge's statements on fact and law in earlier proceedings alleged to ground reasonable apprehension of prejudgment LEGISLATION CITED : Legal Profession Act 1987 Legal Profession Regulation Australian National Industries Ltd v Spedley Securities Ltd (1992) 26 NSWLR 411 Brown v DML Resources Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 250 Re JRL; Ex parte CJL (1986) 161 CLR 342 Kartinyeri v Commonwealth (No 2) (1998) 72 ALJR 1334 Lawal v Northern Spirit Ltd [2002] EWCA Civ 327 CASES CITED : Locabil (UK) Ltd v Bayfield Properties Ltd [2000] QB 451 Rogers v Wentworth (unreported, NSWCA, 9 October 1998) Wentworth v Rogers [2002] NSWSC 709 Wentworth v Rogers [2002] NSWSC 921 Wentworth v Rogers (No 9) (1987) 8 NSWLR 388 Wentworth v Wentworth (unreported, NSWCA, 21 February 1996) Wentworth v Wentworth (unreported, NSWSC, 10 July 1997) DECISION : See paragraphs 27 and 35