Wood v State of New South Wales [2018] NSWSC 1247

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Wood v State of New South Wales [2018] NSWSC 1247 Hearing dates: 20 February - 23 March; 3 July 2017 Decision date: 10 August 2018 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Fullerton J Decision: 1. Judgment for the defendant. 2. The plaintiff is to pay the defendant's costs. Catchwords: MALICIOUS PROSECUTION – identity of prosecutors – "third party prosecutors" according to the principle in Brain – expert witness immunity – proof of the elements of the tort – application of the objective and subjective tests for proof of the absence of reasonable and probable cause – legal and ethical duties of a Crown Prosecutor – proof of malice – matters from which malice may be inferred

ISSUE ESTOPPEL – identity of issue – identity of parties

ABUSE OF PROCESS Legislation Cited: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), ss 5(1)(a), 6(1) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), ss 8, 132 Crown Proceedings Act 1988 (NSW), s 5 Crown Prosecutors Act 1986 (NSW), s 5(1) Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1986 (NSW), ss 7(1)(a), 9(4) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), s 140(2) Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW), s 13(b) Law Reform (Vicarious Liability) Act 1983 (NSW), Pts 3 and 4 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) (now repealed), s 702 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), r 2 Cases Cited: A v State of New South Wales (2007) 230 CLR 500; [2007] HCA 10 Alexander v The Queen (1981) 145 CLR 395; [1981] HCA 17 Anderson v R (1991) 53 A Crim R 421 Anderson v R [2010] NSWCCA 130 Bailey v Director General, Department of Natural Resources [2014] NSWSC 1012 Bailey v Director-General, Department of Natural Resources NSW [2015] NSWCA 318 Batistatos v Roads and Traffic Authority (NSW) (2006) 226 CLR 256; [2006] HCA 27 Beckett v State of New South Wales (2013) 248 CLR 432; [2013] HCA 17 Blair v Curran (1939) 62 CLR 464; [1939] HCA 23 Briginshaw v Briginshaw (1938) 60 CLR 336; [1938] HCA 34 Browne v Dunn (1893) 6 R 67 (HL) Butera v DPP (Vic) (1987) 164 CLR 180; [1987] HCA 58 Cabassi v Vila (1940) 64 CLR 130 Carl Zeiss Stiftung v Rayner & Keeler Ltd (No 2) [1967] 1 AC 853 Causevic v R [2008] NSWCCA 238 Chamberlain v The Queen (No 2) (1984) 153 CLR 521; [1984] HCA 7 Cittadini v R [2009] NSWCCA 302 Commercial Union Assurance Co of New Zealand Ltd v Lamont [1989] 3 NZLR 187 Commonwealth Life Assurance Society Ltd v Brain (1935) 53 CLR 343 Commonwealth of Australia v Fernando (2012) 200 FCR 1; [2012] FCAFC 18 Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2007) 162 FCR 466; [2007] FCAFC 132 D'Orta-Ekenaike v Victorian Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 Doney v the Queen (1990) 171 CLR 207; [1990] HCA 51 Edwards v R (1993) 178 CLR 193); [1993] HCA 63 Egri v DRG Australia Ltd (1988) 19 NSWLR 600 GDD v R; NJC v R [2010] NSWCCA 62 Geitonia Pty Ltd v Inner West Council [2016] NSWCCA 186 Gersbach v R [2009] NSWCCA 132 Grierson v The Queen (1938) 60 CLR 431; [1938] HCA 45 Johnston v Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd [2006] NSWCA 218 Kuligowski v Metrobus (2004) 220 CLR 363; [2004] HCA 34 Libke v R (2007) 230 CLR 559; [2007] HCA 30 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 Mahon v Rahn (No 2) [2000] 1 WLR 2150 Morley v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2010) 274 ALR 205; [2010] NSWCA 331 Neat Holdings Pty Ltd v Karajan Holdings Pty Ltd (1992) 67 ALJR 170; [1992] HCA 66 PNJ v The Queen (2009) 193 A Crim R 54; [2009] HCA 6 Palmer v Dolman [2005] NSWCA 361 R v Apostilides (1984) 154 CLR 563 [1984] HCA 38 R v Dickman (2017) 91 ALJR 686; [2017] HCA 24 R v Kneebone (1999) 47 NSWLR 450; [1999] NSWCCA 279 R v O'Brien (1996) 66 SASR 396 R v Shaw (1991) 57 A Crim R 425 R v Skaf (2004) 60 NSWLR 86; [2004] NSWCCA 37 R v Storey (1978) 140 CLR 364; [1978] HCA 39 Ramsay v Pigram (1968) 118 CLR 271; [1968] HCA 34 Richardson v The Queen (1974) 131 CLR 116 at [119] Rogers v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 251; [1994] HCA 42 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 Sahade v Bischoff [2015] NSWCA 418 State of New South Wales v Hathaway [2010] NSWCA 184 State of New South Wales v Landini [2010] NSWCA 157 Tien Tran v Magistrates' Court of Victoria [1998] VSC 337 Tomlinson v Ramsey Food Processing Pty Ltd (2015) 256 CLR 507; [2015] HCA 28 Trobridge v Hardy (1955) 94 CLR 147 Vu v New South Wales Crime Commission [2013] NSWCA 282 Whitehorn v R (1983) 152 CLR 657; [1983] HCA 42 Wood v R (2012) 84 NSWLR 581; [2012] NSWCCA 21 Zoneff v The Queen (2000) 200 CLR 234; [2000] HCA 28 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gordon Wood (Plaintiff) State of NSW (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: B McClintock SC / B Dean (Plaintiff) P Neil SC / A Williams / B Narula (Defendant)