R v Pirrello, Pirrello & D’Agostino [2019] NSWSC 1476

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Pirrello, Pirrello & D'Agostino [2019] NSWSC 1476 Hearing dates: 25 October 2019 Date of orders: 25 October 2019 Decision date: 28 October 2019 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Wilson J Decision: Orders 1, 2, 4, 5 & 6 of the Motion granted Order 3 of the Motion refused Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW - procedure - witnesses - open justice and fair trial principles - whether diminution of accused's "right" to confront accusers amounts to a "Star Chamber" procedure – question of prejudice to an accused if counsel cannot see a witness and jurors simultaneously – practical disadvantages that might arise – need to balance the interests of the accused in seeing a witness with the need to protect an undercover police operative – direction to be given to the jury Legislation Cited: Court Suppression and Non-publication Orders Act 2010 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1985 (NSW) Evidence (Audio and Audio-visual Links) Act 1998 (NSW) Law Enforcement and National Security (Assumed Identities) Act 2010 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) Cases Cited: BUSB v The Queen (2011) 80 NSWLR 170 Commissioner of Police for NSW v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2008) 70 NSWLR 643 Dodds v R 194 A Crim R 4018; [2009] NSWCCA 78 Lodhi v R (2006) 65 NSWLR 573 R v Hawi & Ors (No 2) [2011] NSWSC 1648 R v Hughes [1986] 2 NZLR 129 R v Khaja (No 1) [2017] NSWSC 1578 R v Khaja (No 2) [2017] NSWSC 1853 R v Pirrello, Pirrello & D'Agostino: Application by the Commissioner of Police [2019] NSWSC 1399 Texts Cited: "The Court of Star Chamber", Edward P Cheyney, The American Historical Review, Volume 18, No. 4, July 1913 "The Last Years of the Court of Star Chamber, 1630 – 1641", Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 4th series 21, (1930) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Regina (Crown) Joseph D'Agostino (Accused) Michael Pirrello (Accused) Francesco Pirrello (Accused) The Commissioner of Police Representation: Counsel: Mr P McGuire SC with Ms B Anniwell for the Crown Mr J Stratton SC with Ms M Curry for Joseph D'Agostino Mr D McCallum for Michael Pirrello Mr D Brady SC for Francesco Pirrello Mr D Kell SC with Mr R Coffey for The Commissioner of Police