Mordaunt v Director of Public Prosecutions & Anor [2007] NSWCA 121

Reported Decision: 171 A Crim R 510

New South Wales Court of Appeal

CITATION: Mordaunt v Director of Public Prosecutions & Anor [2007] NSWCA 121 This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 31 January 2007

JUDGMENT DATE: 25 May 2007

JUDGMENT OF: Beazley JA at 1; Hodgson JA at 2; McColl JA at 3

DECISION: Amended summons dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS: CRIMINAL LAW – PROCEDURE – Costs - informations on which defendant convicted dismissed – application for costs certificate – Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967 – ss 2, 3, 3A – principles. CRIMINAL LAW – Costs against Crown – discretion to grant certificate – Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967 – whether trial judge considered facts and reasonableness issue. COSTS – certificate for costs – meaning of "relevant facts" – Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967 – ss 3, 3A. COURTS AND JUDICIAL SYSTEM – Judges – apprehended bias – whether comment that a statement made from the bar table was "commonsense" demonstrated lack of impartiality.

Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967 LEGISLATION CITED: Costs in Criminal Cases (Amendment) Act 1971 Justices Act 1902

Acuthan v Coates (1986) 6 NSWLR 472 Allerton v Director of Public Prosecutions (1991) 24 NSWLR 550 Charara v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 244; (2006) 164 A Crim R 29 Concrete Pty Ltd v Parramatta Design & Developments Pty Ltd [2006] HCA 55; (2006) 81 ALJR 352 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy [2000] HCA 63; (2000) 205 CLR 337 Fesja v R (1995) 82 A Crim R 253 Gianoutsos v Glykis [2006] NSWCCA 137; (2006) 65 NSWLR 539 Gwozdecky v Director of Public Prosecutions (1992) 65 A Crim R 160 Hot Holdings Pty Ltd v Creasey [1995] HCA 60; (1996) 185 CLR 149 Johnson v Johnson [2000] HCA 48; (2000) 201 CLR 488 CASES CITED: Nadilo v Director of Public Prosecutions (1995) 35 NSWLR 738 R v Dunne (Hunt J, 17 May 1990, unreported) R v Johnston [2000] NSWCCA 197 R v Manley [2000] NSWCCA 196; (2000) 49 NSWLR 203 R v McFarlane (Blanch J, 12 August 1994, unreported) R v War Pensions Entitlement Appeal Tribunal; Ex parte Bott [1933] HCA 30; (1933) 50 CLR 228 R v Williams, Ex Parte Williams [1970] 1 NSWR 81 Ramskogler v Director of Public Prosecutions & Anor (1995) 82 A Crim R 128 Regina v Ahmad [2002] NSWCCA 282 Regina v Hatfield [2001] NSWSC 334; (2001) 126 A Crim R 169 Solomons v District Court of New South Wales [2002] HCA 47; (2002) 211 CLR 119 Treasurer in & for the State of New South Wales v Wade & Dukes (Court of Appeal, 16 June 1994, unreported, BC9402561)