Allen v Ewing and Anor [2017] NSWSC 1696

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Allen v Ewing and Anor [2017] NSWSC 1696 Hearing dates: 30 November 2017 Date of orders: 07 December 2017 Decision date: 07 December 2017 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Hamill J Decision: (1) The proceedings in this Court (17/308967) are stayed pending the resolution of the criminal proceedings in the Local Court commenced by Court Attendance Notice H 65675339. (2) The plaintiff has liberty to apply to the Court on two days' notice. (3) No order as to costs. Catchwords: CIVIL LAW – summary dismissal of proceedings seeking declarations – judicial review of validity of search warrants – where criminal proceedings pending before Local Court – whether proceedings abuse of process by causing fragmentation of criminal proceedings – whether trial court has jurisdiction to consider validity of warrant beyond errors on face of warrant – latent invalidity – stay pending outcome of criminal proceedings Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Cases Cited: Flanagan v Australian Federal Police (1996) 60 FCR 149; [1996] FCA 16 Gedeon v Commissioner of the New South Wales Crime Commission (2008) 236 CLR 120; [2008] HCA 43 Lee v the New South Wales Commissioner of Police [2017] NSWSC 1594 Minister for Immigration v Bhardwaj (2002) 209 CLR 597; [2002] HCA 11 Ousley v The Queen (1997) 192 CLR 69; [1997] HCA 49 Plaintiff S157 (2003) 211 CLR 476; [2003] HCA 2 R v Simmons; R v Moore (No 3) [2015] NSWSC 189 Sankey v Whitlam (1978) 142 CLR 1; [1978] HCA 43 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Christopher Georgian Allen (Plaintiff/Respondent) Detective Sergeant Russell Ewing (First Defendant/Applicant) Niki Valentine (Second Defendant) Representation: Counsel: Mr E Ozen (Plaintiff/Respondent) Mr D Hume (First Defendant//Applicant)