R v Agius; R v Abibadra; R v Jandagi; R v Zerafa [2011] NSWSC 367

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Agius; R v Abibadra; R v Jandagi; R v Zerafa [2011] NSWSC 367 Hearing dates: 27 April 2011 Decision date: 04 May 2011 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Criminal Before: Simpson J Decision: Applications for stay refused. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW - particular offences - offences against the government - conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth - s 29D and s 86(1) Crimes Act 1914 - s 135.4(5) Criminal Code Act 1995 CRIMINAL LAW - procedure - application for permanent stay of proceedings on count 2 - indictment alleging two counts of conspiracy - particulars allege single conspiracy - change in legislative regime during course of alleged conspiracy - order for stay refused CRIMINAL LAW - procedure - indictment - duplicity - latent and patent duplicity - pleading of statutory alternatives - single offence charged - orders refused STATUTES - acts of parliament - interpretation - operation and effect of statutes -conspiracy to defraud the Commonwealth - repeal of provisions in Crimes Act 1914 - enactment of provisions in Criminal Code Act 1995 - single continuing conspiracy spanning periods of operation of two legislative regimes - relevant course of conduct prosecuted as two counts of conspiracy Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Criminal Code Criminal Code Act 1995 Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Act 2005 Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001 Cases Cited: B v R [2008] NSWCCA 85 Director of Public Prosecutions v Doot [1973] AC 807 Johnson v Miller [1937] HCA 77; 59 CLR 467 Jones (1832) 4 B & Ad 345; 110 ER 485 R v LK; R v RK [2010] HCA 17; 241 CLR 177 Romeyko v Samuels (1972) 2 SASR 529 (at 552); (1972) 19 FLR 322 S v R [1989] HCA 66; 168 CLR 266 Stanton v Abernathy (1990) 90 NSWLR 565 Walsh v Tattersall [1996] HCA 26; 188 CLR 77 Texts Cited: Archbold: Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice, 44th ed, (1995), Vol 1 Gillies: The Law of Criminal Conspiracy, 2nd ed, Federation Press, 1990 Category: Interlocutory applications Parties: Regina (Crown) Robert Francis Agius (Defendant)