Rafailidis v Camden Council [2015] NSWCA 185

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Rafailidis v Camden Council [2015] NSWCA 185 Hearing dates: 17 February 2015 Date of orders: 17 February 2015 Decision date: 17 February 2015 Before: McColl JA at [1]; Gleeson JA at [62]; Bergin CJ in Equity at [63] Decision: (1) Allow the appeal. (2) Set aside the orders of Justice Sheahan made on 18 March 2014 finding Mrs Koula Rafailidis and Mr Efrem Rafailidis guilty of contempt and convicting each of them of that charge. (3) Set aside the order made by Justice Sheahan on 18 March 2014 fining Mrs Koula Rafailidis. (4) Set aside the order made by Justice Sheahan on 25 June 2014 fining Mr Efrem Rafailidis. (5) Set aside all costs orders made by Justice Sheahan on 18 March 2014 and 25 June 2014. (6) Order Camden Council to pay the appellants' costs of the appeal and their costs of the proceedings before Justice Sheahan. (7) Otherwise dismiss the further amended notice of appeal. Catchwords: PROCEDURE – Contempt of court – construction of court orders – first court order requiring land owners to "within ninety days to…obtain development consent" to allow a building to remain on certain land – where land owners obtained such development consent in 2012 but did not carry out the works that consent required within ninety days – where "ninety days" subsequently varied by second order to "4 July 2013" – where land owners did not carry out the works by that date – where land owners charged with contempt of court – whether on proper construction of first order 2012 development consent constituted compliance – whether contempt charge ambiguous Legislation Cited: Camden Local Environmental Plan 2010 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 Land and Environment Court Act 1979 (NSW) Cases Cited: Ashrafi Persian Trading Co Limited t/as Roslyn Gardens Motor Inn v Ashrafinia [2001] NSWCA 243; (2002) Aust Torts Reports ¶81-636 Athens v Randwick City Council [2005] NSWCA 317; (2005) 64 NSWLR 58 Australian Consolidated Press Ltd v Morgan [1965] HCA 21; (1965) 112 CLR 483 Camden Council v Rafailidis [2012] NSWLEC 51 Camden Council v Rafailidis (No 2) [2012] NSWLEC 125 Camden Council v Rafailidis (No 3) [2012] NSWLEC 217 Camden Council v Rafailidis (No 4) [2014] NSWLEC 22 Camden Council v Rafailidis (No 5) [2014] NSWLEC 85 Harris v Harris [2000] EWHC 231 (Fam); [2001] 3 FCR 193 Hogan v Hinch [2011] HCA 4; (2011) 243 CLR 506 ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd v Trade Practices Commission (1992) 38 FCR 248 Kao, Lee & Yip v Donald Koo Hoi Yan [2009] HKCFA 59; [2009] 5 HKC 36; (2009) 12 HKCFAR 830 Michael Wilson & Partners Ltd v Nicholls [2011] HCA 48; (2011) 244 CLR 427 Pang v Bydand Holdings Pty Ltd [2011] NSWCA 69 R v Liberti (1991) 55 A Crim R 120 Redwing Ltd v Redwing Forest Products Ltd (1947) 177 LT 387 Ross v Lane Cove Council [2014] NSWCA 50; (2014) 86 NSWLR 34 Suttor v Gundowda [1950] HCA 35; (1950) 81 CLR 418 Zaccardi v Caunt [2008] NSWCA 202; (2008) 15 BPR 28,403 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Koula Rafailidis (First Appellant) Efrem Rafailidis (Second Appellant) Camden Council (Respondent) Representation: Koula Rafailidis (Appellants) Counsel: Mr J Lazarus (Respondent) Mr M W Sneddon (Amicus Curiae) Solicitors: Appellants self-represented Lindsay Taylor Lawyers (Respondent) File Number(s): CA 2014/102465 Publication restriction: No Decision under appeal Court or tribunal: Land and Environment Court Jurisdiction: Class 4 Citation: [2014] NSWLEC 22; [2014] NSWLEC 85 Date of Decision: 18 March 2014; 25 June 2014 Before: Sheahan J File Number(s): 40855 of 2011