REGINA v RONEN & ORS [2004] NSWCCA 67

Reported Decision : 62 NSWLR 707

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : REGINA v RONEN & ORS [2004] NSWCCA 67 HEARING DATE(S) : 11 March 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 22 March 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Spigelman CJ at 1; Mason P at 91; Kirby J at 116 DECISION : Appeal dismissed

CATCHWORDS : Whether the proper officer of a company can claim privilege against self-incrimination where a subpoena duces tecum is served on the corporation - meaning of "proper officer" - whether the "proper office" requires the express authority of the company to answer the subpoena - whether it is oppressive on the accused or an abuse of process for a corporation to comply with a subpoena where the accused is the sole director and secretary of the corporation - whether the accused is being asked to assist in the preparation of the Crown case - whether the process of gathering documents is an exercise of executive or judicial power. Crimes Act 1914 LEGISLATION CITED : Criminal Appeal Act 1912 Supreme Court Rules 1970 AG v North Metropolitan Tramways Co (1892) 3 Ch 70 Attorney General of Tuvalu v Philatelic Distribution Corp Ltd [1990] 2 All ER 216 Azzopardi v The Queen (2001) 205 CLR 50 Boilermakers Case (1956) 94 CLR 254 BPTC Limited (in liq) (1993) 29 NSWLR 713 Braswell v United States 487 US 99 (1988) Carter v Northmore Hale Davey & Leake (195) 183 CLR 121 Commercial Bank of Australia v Whinfield (120) CLR 225 Danieletto v Kherra (1995) 35 NSWLR 684 Dyers v The Queen (2002) 210 CLR 285 Eccles & Co v Louisville and Nashville Railway Company (1912) 1 KB 135 Environment Protection Authority v Caltex Refining Co Pty Limited (1999) 178 CLR 477 In re Grand Jury Subpoenas dated October 22 November 1991 and November 1 1991 959 F.2d 1158 (2d Cl C1992) In re Two Grand Jury Subpoenae Duces Tecum 769 F 2d 52 (1985) Klein v Bell (195) 2 DLR 513 MacDonald v Australian Securities Commission (No 2) (1994) 48 FCR 210 Mosser v PGH Ceramics [1964] 82 WN (Pt 1) (NSW) 147 Old Welshman's Reef Gold Mining Co v Welshman's Gold Mining Co (1884) 14 VLR 253 Penn-Texas Corporation v Mural Anstalt (1964) 2 QB 647 Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital v Thornton (1953) 87 CLR 144 CASES CITED : R v Scott (1990) 20 NSWLR 72 R v Soma (2003) 212 CLR 299 Re Lindsay Toole & Co (Wool) Pty Ltd (1966) 2 NSWLR 120 Registrar of the Supreme Court, Equity Dividion v McPherson [1980] 1 NSWLR 688 Rochfort v Trade Practices Commission (1982) 153 CLR 134 RPS v The Queen (2000) 199 CLR 620 Smith Kline & French Laboratoires Ltd v Inter-Continental Pharmaceutical (Australia) Pty Ltd (1969) 43 ALJR 308 South Pacific Hotel Services Inc v Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation Ltd (1984) 1 NSWLR 711 Tannetta Walker & Co v Newport Duck Co (1890) 6 TLR 326 The Lady Gwendolen (1965) P 294 The Queen v Davison (1954) 90 CLR 353 Trade Practices Commission v Arnotts Ltd (1990) ATPR 41-009 Two Grand Jury Subpoenae Duces Tecum 793 F 2d 69 (1986) United States v Barth 745 F 2d 184 United States v Kordel 397 US 1, 90 S.Ct 763 (1969) United States v Mosely 832 F. Supp. 56 (1993) United States v Stone 976 F.2d 909 (1992) cert. Denied, 507 US 1029 113 S.Ct 1843 123 L.Ed 2d 467 (1993) United States v White 322 US 694 (1944) Welsbach Incandescent Gas Lighting Wilson v Church (1878) Ch 555 Wilson v United States 221 US 361 (1911) Regina PARTIES : Ida Ronen Nitzan Ronen Izhar Ronen FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60093/04; 60094/04; 60095/04 R Richter QC and N Rosenbaum (Ida Ronen) COUNSEL : I Hill QC and E Power (Nitzan Ronen) R. Van de Wiel QC and P Jones (Izhar Ronen) D. Hammerschlag SC (Crown) Watsons Solicitors (Ida Ronen) Charlesworth Josem Partners (Nitzan Ronen) SOLICITORS : Woodhams O'Keefe (Izhar Ronen) P Musgrave (Crown) T Hartman (Companies)