NEW SOUTH WALES BAR ASSOCIATION v STEVENS [2003] NSWCA 95

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : NEW SOUTH WALES BAR ASSOCIATION v STEVENS [2003] NSWCA 95 revised - 7/05/2003 HEARING DATE(S) : 18 March 2003 JUDGMENT DATE : 24 April 2003

JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Meagher JA at 180; Sheller JA at 181 DECISION : Appeal allowed

CATCHWORDS : LEGAL PRACTITIONERS - cancellation of practising certificate - appeal from grant of stay pending appeal against cancellation - where cancellation for taxation offence and failure to notify - where income tax returns not lodged for 20 year period - whether relevant to exercise of discretion under Legal Profession Act 1987 - whether proceedings to strike practitioner off the Roll relevant to Court's discretion on stay application - Legal Profession Act 1987, ss 38FC, 38FD Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Cth) LEGISLATION CITED : Legal Profession Act 1987 ss 37, 38B, 38 FB, 38FC, 38FD, 38FI Supreme Court Act 1970 s 23 Taxation Administration Act 1953 s 8C Alexander v Cambridge Credit Corporation Limited (1985) 2 NSWLR 685 Australian Securities Investment Commission v Farley (2001) 51 NSWLR 494 Bannister v Walton (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Court of Appeal, unreported, 30 April 1992) Boral Gas (NSW) Pty Ltd v Magill (1993) 32 NSWLR 501 Bryant v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1996) 70 ALJR 306 Clyne v New South Wales Bar Association (1960) 104 CLR 186 Dwyer v National Companies & Securities Commission (1988) 15 NSWLR 285 Ex parte Farren; Re Austin (1960) 77 WN(NSW) 743 Hill v King (1993) 31 NSWLR 654 Meagher v Stephenson (1993) 30 NSWLR 736 CASES CITED : New South Wales Bar Association v Cummins (2001) 52 NSWLR 279 New South Wales Bar Association v Evatt (1968) 117 CLR 177 New South Wales Bar Association v Hamman [1999] NSWCA 404 New South Wales Bar Association v Murphy (2002) 55 NSWLR 23 New South Wales Bar Association v Somosi (2001) 48 ATR 56 R v Tottenham and District Rent Tribunal ex parte Northfield (Highgate) Ltd [1957] 1 QB 103 Robb & Rees v Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory (Federal Court of Australia, Finn J, unreported, 21 June 1996) Sinha v Health Care Complaints Commission [2001] NSWCA 48 Veghelyi v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (1989) 17 NSWLR 669 Wardell v New South Wales Bar Association [2002] NSWSC 548 Ziems v Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (1957) 97 CLR 279 PARTIES : New South Wales Bar Association (Appellant) Clarence James Stevens (Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 41214/02 COUNSEL : P R Garling SC / C E Adamson (Appellant) P Le G Brereton SC / M A Robinson (Respondent) SOLICITORS : Hicksons (Appellant) Sally Nash & Co (Respondent)