New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal CITATION: John Fairfax Publication Pty Limited v MSK MMK MRK MAK & Regina [2006] NSWCCA 356 HEARING DATE(S): 1 November 2006 JUDGMENT DATE: 1 November 2006 JUDGMENT OF: Spigelman CJ at 1; Basten JA at 4; Hislop J at 5 EX TEMPORE JUDGMENT DATE: 11/01/2006 DECISION: The preliminary questions before the Court should be limited to issues of jurisdiction and standing. CATCHWORDS: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – Miscellaneous Powers of Courts & Judges – Determining issues separately – r77 Criminal Appeal Rules LEGISLATION CITED: Criminal Appeal Rules, r77 PARTIES: John Fairfax Publication Pty Limited (Applicant) MSK, MMK, MRK, MAK & Regina (Respondent) FILE NUMBER(S): CCA 2006/2120 COUNSEL: D. Sibtain (Applicant) P. Hamill SC, C. Craigie SC, C. Smith, M. Sexton QC, J. Caldwell (Respondent) SOLICITORS: Leanne Norman, Freehills K Kyriacou; A I Wunderlick & Co LOWER COURT JURISDICTION: Supreme Court LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S): 70201/03; 70002/03; 70202/03; 70203/03; 2005/158; 2005/3 LOWER COURT JUDICIAL OFFICER: Sully J, Hidden J LOWER COURT DATE OF DECISION: 27 June 2003, 12 May, 2005 - 2 - IN THE COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEAL CCA 2006/2120 SPIGELMAN CJ BASTEN JA HISLOP J Wednesday 1 November 2006 JOHN FAIRFAX PUBLICATION PTY LIMITED v MSK, MMK, MRK, MAK & REGINA Judgment 1 SPIGELMAN CJ: In my opinion, pursuant to the Court's power under r77 of the Criminal Appeal Rules, there being no express rule dealing with the question of identifying separate issues, this Court should make an order in the form of order 2 in the application dated 31 October 2006, namely an order that the questions of the standing of the Applicant and the competency of the application dated 7 August 2006 be heard and determined separately and in advance of all other issues in the proceeding. 2 It is not appropriate at this stage to determine the question of the admissibility of expert evidence. There are two reasons for that. One is that if we were to launch into that matter then this bench would be part heard and it is by no means clear when the particular members of this bench could be reconstituted. Secondly, there actually have been no submissions before the Court in writing about the issue of admissibility. It does pose some difficult questions about expert evidence and there are no submissions seeking to justify the admissibility of Professor Finlay's report, to which the report of Dr Chapel is a reply. 3 Accordingly, I believe that the preliminary questions should be limited to the jurisdictional and standing issues that have been raised in the submissions. 4 BASTEN JA: I agree. 5 HISLOP J: I agree. ********** DISCLAIMER - Every effort has been made to comply with suppression orders or statutory provisions prohibiting publication that may apply to this judgment or decision. The onus remains on any person using material in the judgment or decision to ensure that the intended use of that material does not breach any such order or provision. Further enquiries may be directed to the Registry of the Court or Tribunal in which it was generated.