Hilton v Legal Profession Admission Board [2017] NSWCA 232

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Hilton v Legal Profession Admission Board [2017] NSWCA 232 Hearing dates: 17 July 2017 Decision date: 18 September 2017 Before: Bathurst CJ; Leeming JA; Sackville AJA Decision: (1) Grant leave to appeal. (2) Appeal dismissed, with costs. Catchwords: LEGAL PRACTITIONERS – application for certificate from local admission board in 2015 – applicant removed from solicitors roll in 1988 following conviction for conspiracy to corrupt Minister for Corrective Services – board refused to issue certificate – de novo hearing before primary judge – appeal from decision of primary judge dismissing appeal – no appellable error disclosed in decision that applicant had failed to discharge heavy burden borne by him – appeal dismissed Legislation Cited: Children (Criminal Proceedings) Act 1987 (NSW), s 17 Crimes Legislation (Unsworn Evidence) Amendment Act 1994 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 91 Legal Profession Admission Rules 2005 (NSW), r 99 Legal Profession Uniform Admission Rules 2015 (NSW), rr 10, 14 Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW), ss 16, 17, 19, 26, 28; cl 2 of Sch 4 Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014 (NSW), s 4; cl 3(3) of Sch 9 Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 101(2) Cases Cited: Branir Pty Ltd v Owston Holdings (No 2) Pty Ltd (2001) 117 FCR 424 Chen v Ng (British Virgin Islands) [2017] UKPC 27 Clyne v New South Wales Bar Association (1960) 104 CLR 186; [1960] HCA 40 Dawson v Law Society of New South Wales [1989] NSWCA 58 Double Bay Law Pty Ltd t/a & Legal v Council of the Law Society of New South Wales [2013] NSWADT 182 Ex parte Clyne (1961) 62 SR (NSW) 436 Ex parte Lenehan (1948) 77 CLR 403 at 422; [1948] HCA 45 Ex parte Tziniolis; Re The Medical Practitioners Act (1966) 67 SR (NSW) 448 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118; [2003] HCA 22 Health Care Complaints Commission v Litchfield (1997) 41 NSWLR 630 Hilton v Wells (1985) 157 CLR 57; [1985] HCA 16 Law Society of New South Wales v Foreman (1994) 34 NSWLR 408 Perish v R (2016) 92 NSWLR 161; [2016] NSWCCA 89 Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v Leon Nikolaidis [2010] NSWCA 73 Prothonotary of the Supreme Court of New South Wales v Montenegro [2015] NSWCA 409 Prothonotary v Gregory [2017] NSWCA 101 R v Makisi [2004] NSWCCA 333; 151 A Crim R 245 Rexel Electrical Supplies Pty Ltd v Morton (as liquidator of South East Queensland Machinery Manufacturing and Distribution (Mining No. 1) (in liq)) [2015] QCA 235; 110 ACSR 341 Singer v Berghouse (1994) 181 CLR 201; [1994] HCA 40 Smith v Western Australia (2014) 250 CLR 473; [2014] HCA 3 Stanford v Stanford (2012) 247 CLR 108; [2012] HCA 52 Suttor v Gundowda Pty Ltd (1950) 81 CLR 418; [1950] HCA 35 The Council of the New South Wales Bar Association v Franklin (No 2) [2014] NSWCA 428 Warren v Coombes (1979) 142 CLR 531; [1979] HCA 9 Ziems v The Prothonotory of the Supreme Court of New South Wales (1957) 97 CLR 279; [1957] HCA 46 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Howard Hilton (Applicant) Legal Profession Admission Board (First Respondent) The Council of the Law Society of New South Wales (Second Respondent) Representation: Counsel: DMJ Bennet AC QC; M Gaven (Applicant) CRC Newlinds SC; G Johnson (Second Respondent)