LESTER v NEW SOUTH WALES ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL [2002] NSWSC 205

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : LESTER v NEW SOUTH WALES ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL [2002] NSWSC 205 revised - 5/04/2002 CURRENT JURISDICTION: Common Law Administrative Law List FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 30059/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 13, 14, 15 February 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 3 April 2002

Robert John Lester (Plaintiff)

PARTIES : v

New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council (Defendant) JUDGMENT OF : Adams J at 1

COUNSEL : Dr J E Griffiths SC (Plaintiff) Mr T Robertson SC (Defendant) SOLICITORS : Horowitz & Bilinsky (Plaintiff) Woolf Associates (Defendant) CATCHWORDS : Application for declaration - power of NSWALC to remove Treasurer from office - implied power of removal - application of Interpretation Act 1987 - whether excluded by implication - application of Code of Ethics - legitimate expectation that would apply - whether breach of natural justice to disregard code procedure - aggrieved person also member of deciding body and participating in decision making process. Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983 Interpretation Act 1987 LEGISLATION CITED : Aboriginal Land Rights Regulation 1996 Aboriginal Land Rights (Amendment) Act 1986 Aboriginal Land Rights (Amendment) Act 1990 Wild v Maguire [1970] NZLR 489 CASES CITED : Au Yong v Australian Chinese Forum of NSW Inc (unreported, 7 June 1996 NSWSC Bryson J) Minister of State for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs v Teoh (1994-1995) 183 CLR 273 DECISION : Summons dismissed with costs.