Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 2) [2017] NSWLEC 185

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (No 2) [2017] NSWLEC 185 Hearing dates: 27 November 2017 Date of orders: 21 December 2017 Decision date: 21 December 2017 Jurisdiction: Class 4 Before: Molesworth AJ Decision: See orders at [102] Catchwords: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – recusal application – apprehended bias – whether absence of jurisdiction to hear trial as person appointed to act as a judge of the Court – consequence of potential for reappointment on perception of impartiality and institutional integrity of Court – consequence of alleged potential prejudgment revealed in interlocutory judgment on perception of impartiality Legislation Cited: Act of Settlement 1700 12 & 13 Wm III, c 2 Land and Environment Court Act 1979, ss 7, 8, 11, 22 Supreme Court Act 1970 Cases Cited: Alexandria Landfill Pty Ltd v Roads and Maritime Services [2017] NSWLEC 148 Antoun v The Queen (2006) 159 A Crim R 513; [2006] HCA 2 Aon Risk Services Australia Ltd v Australian National University (2009) 239 CLR 175; [2009] HCA 27 British American Tobacco Australia Services Ltd v Laurie (2011) 242 CLR 283; [2011] HCA 2 Downey v Acting District Court Judge Boulton (No 5) (2010) 78 NSWLR 499; [2010] NSWCA 240 Ebner v Official Trustee in Bankruptcy (2000) 205 CLR 337; [2000] HCA 63 Forge v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2006) 228 CLR 45; [2006] HCA 44 Helow v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2008] 1 WLR 2416 Hills Shire Council v Mouawad (2014) 203 LGERA 233; [2014] NSWLEC 59 Johnson v Johnson (2000) 201 CLR 488; [2000] HCA 48 Millers Point Community Assoc Inc v Property NSW (2017) 224 LGERA 407; [2017] NSWLEC 92 Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs v Jia Legeng (2001) 205 CLR 507; [2001] HCA 17 R v S (RD) [1997] 3 SCR 484 R v Watson (1976) 136 CLR 248; [1976] HCA 39 Randren House Pty Ltd v Water Administration Ministerial Corporation [2017] NSWLEC 151 Texts Cited: Gabrielle Appleby et al, "Temporary Judicial Officers in Australia" (Report commissioned by the Judicial Conference of Australia, March 2017) Grant Hammond, Judicial Recusal: Principles, Process and Problems (2009, Hart Publishing) Mark Aronson, Matthew Groves and Greg Weeks, Judicial Review of Administrative Action and Government Liability (6th ed 2017, Lawbook Co) Michael Kirby, "Judicial recusal: differentiating judicial impartiality and judicial independence?" (2015) 4 British Journal of American Legal Studies 1 Category: Procedural and other rulings Parties: Randren House Pty Ltd (First Applicant) Mr Paul Andrew Andrews (Second Applicant) Water Administration Ministerial Corporation (First Respondent) State of New South Wales (Second Respondent) Minister administering the Water Management Act 2000 (Third Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Mr P E King (Applicants) Ms J Davidson (Respondents)