ASIC v Rich [2004] NSWSC 970

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : ASIC v Rich [2004] NSWSC 970 HEARING DATE(S) : 26, 27 October 2004 JUDGMENT DATE : 3 November 2004 JURISDICTION: Equity JUDGMENT OF : Austin J DECISION : Application for disqualification dismissed

CATCHWORDS : APPREHENDED BIAS - apprehension of bias by reason of prejudgment - long trial - discretionary evidentiary rulings against defendants, prior to determination of admissibility of plaintiff's documents - whether exercise of discretion involved prejudgment of ultimate question of admissibility of documents - whether comments in judgments on evidence gave rise to reasonable apprehension of bias by prejudgment LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) ss 135, 136, 138 ASIC v Rich [2004] NSWSC 951 Australian National Industries Ltd v Spedley Securities Ltd (1992) 26 NSWLR 411 Bainton v Rajski (1992) 29 NSWLR 539 Government Insurance Office of New South Wales v Glasscock (unreported, Court of Appeal of New South Wales, 19 February 1991, BC9102328 Idoport Pty Ltd v National Australia Bank Ltd [2004] NSWSC 270 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488 Kola v District Court of South Australia [2001] SASC 268 Kwan v Kang [2003] NSWCA 336 CASES CITED : Livesey v NSW Bar Association (1983) 151 CLR 288 R v Australian Stevedoring Industry Board; Ex parte Melbourne Stevedoring Company Pty Ltd (1953) 88 CLR 100 R v Gough [1993] AC 646 R v Sussex Justices; Ex parte McCarthy [1924] 1 KB 256 R v Watson; Ex parte Armstrong (1976) 136 CLR 248 Re JRL; Ex parte CJL (1986) 161 CLR 342 Ridgway v R (1995) 184 CLR 19 Southern Equities Corporation Ltd (in liq) v Bond (2000) 78 SASR 339 Webb v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 41 Australian Securities and Investments Commission (P) PARTIES : John David Rich (D1) Mark Alan Silbermann (D4) FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 5934/01 COUNSEL : R B S Macfarlan QC with J P A Durack SC, N J Beaumont and J E O'Sullivan (P) D L Williams SC with M J Steele and S A Goodman (D1, D4) SOLICITORS : Jan Redfern, Solicitor for Australian Securities and Investments Commission (P) Joanne Kelly, Solicitor (D1, D4)