Victims Compensation Fund Corporation v GM & 5 Ors [2004] NSWCA 185

Reported Decision : 60 NSWLR 310 148 A Crim R 301

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION : Victims Compensation Fund Corporation v GM & 5 Ors [2004] NSWCA 185 HEARING DATE(S) : 28 April 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 16 June 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Ipp JA at 2; McColl JA at 3 DECISION : 1. Order that the record of the proceedings before her Honour Judge Sidis DCJ at the District Court Newcastle on 18 June 2003 Nos. [383/03], [384/03], [385/03], [386/03] and [387/03] be removed into the Supreme Court of New South Wales. 2. Quash the orders made by Sidis DCJ in the proceedings. 3. Remit the proceedings to the District Court to be dealt with according to law. 4. Claimant to pay the opponents' costs as agreed or assessed.

CATCHWORDS : VICTIMS COMPENSATION - whether evidence of injury is required to establish that a victim of a sexual assault is a primary victim of an act of violence pursuant to ss 5(1) of the Victims Support & Rehabilitation Act 1996 (NSW) or is otherwise entitled to compensation in respect of the compensable injury of sexual assault - whether the facts of the sexual assaults in this case demonstrated actual physical contact amounting to 'harm' for the purpose of the definition of 'injury' in the Act. (D) Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 437, s 578A, s 578(3) District Court Rules 1973 (NSW) Pt 6 r 60C(4) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW) s 34(1)(a) LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) s 69(4) Victims Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) s 3(1) Victims Compensation Amendment Act 1998 (NSW) Schedule 1 cll [19]-[23] Victims Support and Rehabilitation Act 1996 (NSW) Pt 1, s 3(a), s 4(1), s 5, s 5(1), s 5(1)(b), s 5(1)(c), s 5(2), Pt 2, Div 1, s 6, s 6(a), s 7, s 7(1), s 8, Div 2, s 10, s 10(1), s 10(2), s 10(3), s 11, s 11(1), s 11(2), s 12, s 13, s 13(3), Div 3, s 14, s 15, s 16, s 17, s 17(1), s 19, s 19(1), s 20, s 20(1), Div 5, s 25(2), s 25(2)(a), s 26, s 26(3)(b), s 29(1), s 29(3), s 36, s 39, s 39(1), s 42(3), s 65, s 65(1), s 68(a), s 68(b), s 68(c), s 68(d), s 68(e), s 68(f), Pt 4, s 70(1), s 71(1)(a), s 75(4), s 72(2), s 90, Schedule 1, cl 1, cl 2, cl 3, cl 3(a), cl 3(b), cl 3(c), cl 5, cl 6, cl 7, cl 7A, cl 8, Dictionary Commissioner for Railways (NSW) v Agalianos (1955) 92 CLR 390 Commonwealth v Baume (1905) 2 CLR 405 Council of the Municipality of Randwick v Rutledge & Ors (1959) 102 CLR 54 Craig v State of South Australia (1995) 184 CLR 163 Gibb v The Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia (1966) 118 CLR 628 Kelly v The Queen [2004] HCA 12; (2004) 205 ALR 274 CASES CITED : Mutual Acceptance Company Limited v The Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1944) 69 CLR 389 O'Brien v District Court of New South Wales & Anor (1996) 89 A Crim R 439 Project Blue Sky Inc & Ors v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1998] HCA 28; (1998) 194 CLR 355 R v Brown [1994] 1 AC 212 R v Donovan [1934] 2 KB 498 Victims Compensation Fund Corporation v Brown [2002] NSWCA 155; (2002) 54 NSWLR 668 Victims Compensation Fund Corporation v Brown [2003] HCA 54; (2003) 77 ALJR 1797 Victims Compensation Fund Corporation v Hill [2000] NSWCA 75 Victims Compensation Fund Corporation (Claimant) GM (First Opponent) CM1 (Second Opponent) PARTIES : CM2 (Third Opponent) CM3 (Fourth Opponent) CM4 (Fifth Opponent) District Court of New South Wales (Sixth Opponent) FILE NUMBER(S) : CA 40828/03 COUNSEL : C. L. Lonergan (Claimant) M.D. Broun QC/R Batley (Opponents 1 to 6) I.V. Knight (Crown Solicitor) (Claimant) SOLICITORS : McDonnell Schroder (Opponents 1 to 5) I.V. Knight (Crown Solicitor) (Opponent 6)