DALTON v NSW CRIME COMMISSION [2004] NSWCA 454

Reported Decision : 151 A Crim R 56 62 NSWLR 77

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : DALTON v NSW CRIME COMMISSION [2004] NSWCA 454 HEARING DATE(S) : 26 October 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 15 December 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Mason P at 14; Wood CJatCL at 94 DECISION : Proceedings dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : CONSTITUTIONAL LAW - Constitution, s51 (xxiv) - Service and Execution of Process Act 1992, s76 - New South Wales Crime Commission - interstate service of summons - whether interstate service valid under federal law - whether s76 supported by s51(xxiv) - concept of "process" - whether "process" in s51(xxiv) confined to proceedings directly connected with the determination of legal rights or the enforcement of law - whether wide enough to encompass compulsory attendance at statutory authority investigating criminal activity. (D) Arbitration Act 1891 (SA) Constitution s51(xxiv) LEGISLATION CITED : Federal Council of Australasia Act 1885 (Imp) New South Wales Crime Commission Act 1985 (NSWCC Act) Service and Execution of Process Act 1901 (Cth) s16(1) Service and Execution of Process Act 1992 (Cth) s76 Quick & Garran, The Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth, 1901 ed, reprinted pp617-20 W Harrison Moore, "Executive Commissions of Inquiry" (1913) 13 Colum L Rev 523 Peter M Hall, Investigating Corruption and Misconduct in Public Office: Commissions of Inquiry - Powers and Procedures (2004) Law Book Co Alliance Petroleum Australia NL v Australian Gas Light Company (1983) 34 SASR 215 Ammann v Wegener (1972) 129 CLR 415 Aston v Irvine (1955) 92 CLR 353 at 364. Barton v The Queen (1980) 147 CLR 75 Boilermakers' Society of Australia, Queensland Branch, Union of Employees v Brisbane Welding Works Pty Ltd [1965] Qd R 598 Cheney v Spooner (1929) 41 CLR 532 Clough v Leahy (1904) 2 CLR 139 CASES CITED : Electronic Rentals Pty Ltd v Anderson (1971) 124 CLR 27 Grassby v The Queen (1989) 168 CLR 1 Huddart Parker & Co Pty Ltd v Moorehead (1909) 8 CLR 330 In re Beall [1894] 2 QB 135 Lockwood v The Commonwealth (1954) 90 CLR 177 McGuinness v Attorney-General (Vic) (1940) 63 CLR 73 Ng v The Queen [2003] HCA 20 Singh v The Commonwealth [2004] HCA 43 The Queen v Murphy (1985) 158 CLR 596 The Queen v Rogerson (1992) 174 CLR 268 Victoria v Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation (1982) 152 CLR 25 Leigh William DALTON PARTIES : NSW Crime Commission Commonwealth Attorney-General (Intervening) New South Wales Attorney-General (Intervening) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40816/04 Appellant: P Faris QC / Dr J Bleechmore COUNSEL : Respondent and Attorney-General for NSW: M Sexton SC SG / K Richardson Commonwealth A-G: D Bennett QC SG / M Leeming Appellant: R M Ellinghaus & Lidner SOLICITORS : Respondent and Attorney-General for NSW: I V Knight (Crown Solicitor) Commonwealth A-G: Australian Government Solicitor