Schneider v Brydon LCM [2012] NSWSC 964

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Schneider v Brydon LCM [2012] NSWSC 964 Hearing dates: 16 May 2012 Decision date: 23 August 2012 Before: McClellan CJ at CL Decision: 1. Summons is dismissed. 2. Order the plaintiffs to pay the defendants' costs. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - judicial review - magistrate's decision under s 91 of Criminal Procedure Act denying an application to compel attendance of witnesses for cross-examination at plaintiffs' committal hearing - whether magistrate's decision was affected by apprehended bias - whether magistrate asked himself the wrong question - whether magistrate took irrelevant considerations into account, or failed to take relevant considerations into account - magistrate held not to have fallen into error

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW - meaning and scope of "trial by jury" in s 80 of the Constitution - whether s 91 of the Criminal Procedure Act is picked up by s 68 of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) so as to apply to an indictment for a federal offence - whether s 91 of the Criminal Procedure Act is compatible with the conception of "trial by jury" in s 80 of the Constitution - section held not to be invalid - summons dismissed Legislation Cited: Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 (Cth) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 Evidence Act 1995 Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) Justices Act 1902 (NSW) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) The Constitution Justices Act 1902 (WA) Cases Cited: Ammann v Wegener [1972] HCA 58; (1972) 129 CLR 415 Barton v The Queen [1980] HCA 48; (1980) 147 CLR 75 Bass v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd [1999] HCA 9; (1999) 198 CLR 334 Brown v The Queen [1986] HCA 11; (1986) 160 CLR 171 Brownlee v The Queen [2001] HCA 36; (2001) 207 CLR 278 Cheatle v The Queen [1993] HCA 44; (1993) 177 CLR 541 Chu Kheng Lim v Minister for Immigration (1992) 176 CLR Cox v Coleridge (1822) 1 B&C 37 DPP (Cth) v Bayly (1994) 63 SASR 97 DPP (NSW) v O'Conner [2006] NSWSC 458; (2006) 181 A Crim R 294 DPP v Losurdo (1998) 44 NSWLR 618 Epping and Harlow Justices; Ex parte Massaro [1973] QB 433 Fermia v Hand (1984) 1 FCR 336 Fittock v The Queen [2003] HCA 19; (2003) 217 CLR 508 Grassby v The Queen [1989] HCA 45; (1989) 168 CLR 1 Hanna v Kearney (unreported, 28 May 1998, Studdert J) Huddart, Parker and Co Pty Ltd v Moorehead [1909] HCA 36; (1909) 8 CLR 330 International Finance Trust Company Limited v NSW Crime Commission [2009] HCA 49; (2009) 240 CLR 319 JJ v Board of the Australian Crime Commission [2011] FCAFC 73 Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions [1996] HCA 24; (1996) 189 CLR 51 Kant v Director of Public Prosecutions (1994) 34 NSWLR 216 Lamb v Moss (1983) 76 FLR 296 McGovern v Ku-ring-gai Council [2008] NSWCA 209; (2008) 72 NSWLR 504 Moss v Brown [1979] 1 NSWLR 114 Ng v The Queen [2003] HCA 20; (2003) 217 CLR 521 Nicholas v The Queen [1998] HCA 9; (1998) 193 CLR 173 O'Meara v The Queen [2001] NSWCCA 340; (2001) 124 A Crim R 493 Project Blue Sky v Australian Broadcasting Authority [1998] HCA 28; (1998) 194 CLR 355 Putland v The Queen [2004] HCA 8; (2004) 218 CLR 174 Qaumi v DPP (NSW) [2008] NSWSC 675; (2008) 186 A Crim R 72 R v Federal Court of Bankruptcy; Ex parte Lowenstein [1938] HCA 10; (1938) 59 CLR 556 at 588 R v LB [2011] NTCCA 4 R v Murphy [1985] HCA 50; (1985) 158 CLR 596 R v Snow [1915] HCA 90; (1915) 20 CLR 315 Re Grinter; Ex parte Hall [2004] WASCA 79; (2004) 28 WAR 427 Re van Beelen (1974) 9 SASR 163 Sim v Corbett [2006] NSWSC 665 South Australia v Totani [2010] HCA 39; (2010) 242 CLR 1 SS v the Australian Crime Commission [2009] FCA 580; (2009) 256 ALR 474 Williamson v Ah On [1926] HCA 46; (1926) 39 CLR 95 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Wayne Schneider (1st plaintiff) Kerry McDonough (2nd plaintiff) Brydon LCM (1st defendant) Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (2nd defendant) Attorney General for NSW (Intervener) Representation: Counsel: M Abbott QC/J Stellios (1st & 2nd plaintiffs) L K Crowley (2nd defendant) B Baker (Intervener) Solicitors: Patsouris & Associates (1st & 2nd plaintiffs) Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (2nd defendant) NSW Crown Solicitor (Intervener) File Number(s): 2011/309950