Buttrose v Attorney General of New South Wales [2015] NSWCA 221

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Buttrose v Attorney General of New South Wales [2015] NSWCA 221 Hearing dates: 22 April 2015 Decision date: 31 July 2015 Before: Beazley P and Leeming JA at [1]; Macfarlan JA at [30] Decision: (1) To the extent necessary, extend the time for the commencement of this proceeding, pursuant to UCPR r 59.10(2), until 17 November 2014. (2) Declare that an error of law on the part of the sentencing judge, and on appeal, the Court of Criminal Appeal, may have caused a sentence to be imposed of greater severity than would otherwise have been the case, such as may give rise to a doubt or question as to any mitigating circumstance in the plaintiff's case within the meaning of s 79(2) of the Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001. Catchwords: ADMINISTRATIVE LAW – judicial review – application under s 78 Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 for an order referring the plaintiff's sentences for drug supply and related offences to the Court of Criminal Appeal for review – precondition that there be a doubt or question as to the correctness of the sentences – satisfaction of precondition held to turn on decision maker's state of mind not on objective existence of a relevant doubt or question

CRIMINAL LAW – sentencing - application under s 78 Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 for an order referring the plaintiff's sentences for drug and related offences to the Court of Criminal Appeal for review – precondition that there be a doubt or question as to the correctness of the sentences – whether doubt or question as to whether plaintiff's sentences involved Muldrock error – Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; 244 CLR 120 and R v Way [2004] NSWCCA 131; 60 NSWLR 168 considered Legislation Cited: Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 (NSW), ss 78, 78(1), 79, 79(1)(b), 79(2), 79(3)(a)(ii) Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), ss 21A(2), 21A(3), 44, 44(2), 54(2), 54A, 54B Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW), s 25(2) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 69 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), Pt 59, rr 59.1, 59.10 Cases Cited: Achurch v The Queen [2014] HCA 10; 88 ALJR 490 Ainsworth v Criminal Justice Commission [1992] HCA 10; 175 CLR 564 Allianz Australia Insurance Ltd v Kerr [2012] NSWCA 13; 83 NSWLR 302 Application by Frank Sinkovich pursuant to s 78 Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 [2013] NSWSC 1342 Application by Richard William Buttrose pursuant to s 78 Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 [2014] NSWSC 826 Aslett v R [2012] NSWCCA 235 Bajramovic v Calubaquib [2015] NSWCA 139 Bolt v R [2012] NSWCCA 50 Buck v Bavone [1976] HCA 24; 135 CLR 110 Butler v R [2012] NSWCCA 23 Buttrose v R [2011] NSWCCA 35 Coetzee v R [2007] NSWCCA 12 Commissioner of Taxation v Futuris Corporation Ltd [2008] HCA 32; 237 CLR 146 Corporation of the City of Enfield v Development Assessment Commission [2000] HCA 5; 199 CLR 135 Davis v R [2015] NSWCCA 90 Devaney v R [2012] NSWCCA 285 Diaz v R [2013] NSWCCA 277 Forster v Jododex [1972] HCA 61; 127 CLR 421 Kazzi v R [2014] NSWCCA 73 Kentwell v The Queen [2014] HCA 37; 252 CLR 601 McDonald v R [2015] NSWCCA 80 Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZMDS [2010] HCA 16; 240 CLR 611 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Eshetu [1999] HCA 21; 197 CLR 611 Muldrock v The Queen [2011] HCA 39; 244 CLR 120 Nufarm Australia Ltd v Dow AgroSciences Australia Ltd (No 2) [2011] FCA 757; 282 ALR 24 Parisienne Basket Shoes Pty Ltd v Whyte [1938] HCA 7; 59 CLR 369 Patsalis v Attorney General for New South Wales [2013] NSWCA 343; 85 NSWLR 463 Plaintiff M61/2010E v The Commonwealth; Plaintiff M69/2010 v The Commonwealth [2010] HCA 41; 243 CLR 319 QBE Insurance (Australia) Ltd v Miller [2013] NSWCA 442 R v El Helou [2010] NSWCCA 111 R v Knight [2007] NSWCCA 283; 176 A Crim R 338 R v McEvoy [2010] NSWCCA 110 R v Reyes [2005] NSWCCA 218 R v Sellars [2010] NSWCCA 133 R v Stankovic [2006] NSWCCA 229 R v Way [2004] NSWCCA 131; 60 NSWLR 168 R v XX [2009] NSWCCA 115; 195 A Crim R 38 Rajendran v R [2014] NSWCCA 113 Richard William Buttrose v R [2011] NSWCCA 35 Roger v De Gelder [2015] NSWCA 211 Sinkovich v Attorney General of New South Wales [2013] NSWCA 383; 85 NSWLR 783 Sinkovich v R [2014] NSWCCA 97 Sukkar v R [2007] NSWCCA 298 Wang v R [2009] NSWCCA 223 Texts Cited: M Aronson and M Groves, Judicial Review of Administrative Action, (5th ed, 2013, Lawbook Co) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Richard William Buttrose (Applicant) Attorney General of New South Wales (First Respondent) Supreme Court of New South Wales (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: G A Bashir SC/J Roy (Applicant) N A Adams SC/J E Davidson (First Respondent) Submitting Appearance (Second Respondent)