Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator v O’Haire [2019] NSWLEC 158

Land and Environment Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator v O'Haire [2019] NSWLEC 158 Hearing dates: 24 October 2019 Date of orders: 29 October 2019 Decision date: 29 October 2019 Jurisdiction: Class 5 Before: Pepper J Decision: Application for recusal on the grounds of apprehended bias refused. Notice of Motion dismissed. Costs reserved. Catchwords: CRIMINAL OFFENCES: whether entry of guilty pleas amenable to correction under slip rule – application of slip rule to criminal proceedings in Class 5 of the Court's jurisdiction – scope of slip rule – entry of plea of guilty not amenable to correction under slip rule because it is not a judgment or order of the Court.

BIAS: whether the judge hearing the notice of motion ought recuse herself on the grounds of apprehended bias by reason of prejudgement – test for apprehended bias – whether application for recusal should be adjourned to allow the party making the application the opportunity to obtain the transcript – application for adjournment refused – application for recusal dismissed. Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005, s 56 Criminal Procedure Act 1986, s 192 Federal Court Rules 1979 (Cth), O 35 r 7 Land and Environment Court Rules 2007, r 5.2 Supreme Court Rules 1970, r 11 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, r 36.17 Water Management Act 2000, s 60C Cases Cited: Al Maha v Huajun [2018] NSWCA 245; (2018) 233 LGERA 170 British American Tobacco Australia Services Limited v Laurie [2011] HCA 2; (2011) 242 CLR 283 Brown Brothers Waste Contractors Pty Ltd v Pittwater Council [2015] NSWCA 215; (2015) 90 NSWLR 717 Elyard Corporation Pty Ltd v DDB Needham Sydney Pty Ltd (1995) 61 FCR 385 Environment Protection Authority v Wellington Council [2017] NSWLEC 5; (2017) 222 LGERA 31 Maxwell v The Queen [1996] HCA 46; (1996) 184 CLR 501 Mutual Shipping Corp of New York v Bayshore Shipping Co of Monrovia [1985] 1 All ER 520 Newmont Yandal Operations Pty Ltd v The J Aron Corporation and the Goldman Sachs Group Inc [2007] NSWCA 195; (2007) 70 NSWLR 411 R v Holton [2004] NSWCCA 214; (2004) 41 MVR 89 Storey & Keers Pty Ltd v Johnstone (1987) 9 NSWLR 446 Tarrant v R [2018] NSWCCA 21 Tonab Investments Pty Ltd v Optima Developments Pty Ltd [2015] NSWCA 287; (2015) 90 NSWLR 268 Young v King (No 12) [2017] NSWLEC 150 Zoef v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (No 2) [2017] NSWCA 2 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Grant Barnes, Chief Regulatory Officer, Natural Resources Access Regulator (Prosecutor) Brian O'Haire (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: A Bonnor (Prosecutor) J Van Aalst (Defendant)