Damjanovic v Maley [2002] NSWCA 230

Reported Decision : (2002) 55 NSWLR 149

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Damjanovic v Maley [2002] NSWCA 230 FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40228/01 HEARING DATE(S) : 19 June 2002 JUDGMENT DATE : 19 July 2002

PARTIES : Mojmir Damjanovic (Appellant) Christopher Paul Maley (Respondent) JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Sheller JA at 2; Stein JA at 3

LOWER COURT JURISDICTION : District Court LOWER COURT DC 1303/00 FILE NUMBER(S) : LOWER COURT Dent DCJ JUDICIAL OFFICER :

Litigant in person (Appellant) COUNSEL : D J Russell (Respondent) S Lloyd (Intervenor for the Attorney-General) SOLICITORS : n/a (Appellant) Acuiti Legal (Respondent) CATCHWORDS : JURISDICTION, PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - general principles and guidelines - s 43(1)(b) of the District Court Act - exercise of the court's discretion to permit or refuse leave to a lay advocate to appear for an unrepresented litigant - rights of audience of unqualified persons - McKenzie friend - power of court to regulate proceedings - CONSTITUTIONAL LAW - whether s 43(1)(b) of the District Court Act is a law for the 'peace, welfare and good government' of New South Wales - whether s 43(1)(b) transgresses an implied constitutional right to procedural equality - D Constitution Act 1902 (NSW), s 5 LEGISLATION CITED : Commonwealth Constitution District Court Act 1973, s 43(1), s 43(1)(b) Supreme Court Rules, Part 1 rule 3, Part 4 rule 4 Abse v Smith [1986] 1 QB 536 Bay Marine Pty Limited v Clayton Country Properties Pty Limited (1986) 8 NSWLR 104 Commonwealth Bank of Australia v Individual Homes Pty Ltd (1994) 119 ACTR 1 D v S (Rights of Audience) [1997] 1 FLR 724 Galladin Pty Ltd v Aimnorth Pty Ltd (1993) 60 SASR 145 House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 Hubbard Association of Scientologists v Anderson [1972] VR 340 Kruger v The Commonwealth (1997) 190 CLR 1 Leeth v The Commonwealth (1992) 174 CLR 455 McGrath v Dobie (1890) 16 VLR 646 McKenzie v McKenzie [1970] 3 All ER 1034 Mensah v Islington London Borough Council ((Unreported, 1 December 2000, Court of Appeal) CASES CITED: Mihaka v Police [1981] 1 NZLR 54 Molnar Engineering Pty Ltd v Herald & Weekly Times Ltd (1984) 1 FCR 455 O'Toole v Scott [1965] AC 939 Pacific Air v Toller (2000) 171 ALR 519 Paragon Finance plc v Noueiri [2001] 1 WLR 2357 R v Bow County Court, ex parte Pelling [1999] 4 All ER 751 R v E J Smith (1982) 2 NSWLR 608 R v Schagen (1993) 65 A Crim R 500 Re Education Pty Ltd and the Companies Act (1963) NSWR 1340 Re G J Mannix Ltd [1984] 1 NZLR 309 Scotts Head Developments Pty Ltd v Pallisar Pty Ltd (Unreported, Court of Appeal, 6 September 1994) Stergiou v Citibank Savings Ltd (1988) 148 FLR 244 Tritonia Ltd v Equity and Law Life Assurance Society [1943] AC 584 Union Steamship Co v King (1988) 166 CLR 1 DECISION : 1) Appeal dismissed 2) Appellant ordered to pay the costs of the respondent