Holdsworth v Commissioner of Police, New South Wales Police Force [2020] NSWSC 228

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Holdsworth v Commissioner of Police, New South Wales Police Force [2020] NSWSC 228 Hearing dates: 11 February 2020 Date of orders: 13 March 2020 Decision date: 13 March 2020 Jurisdiction: Common Law - Administrative Law Before: Beech-Jones J Decision: (1) The amended summons is dismissed.

(2) The Plaintiff pay the Defendant's costs. Catchwords: STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – declaratory relief – whether firearms prohibition order made under the Firearms and Dangerous Weapons Act 1973 constitutes a firearms prohibition order for the purposes of Part 7 of the Firearms Act 1996 – savings and transitional provisions – ordinary meaning manifestly absurd or unreasonable – extrinsic materials – purposive construction of Firearms Act 1996 – HELD: firearms prohibition order made under the Firearms and Dangerous Weapons Act 1973 is a firearms prohibition order for the purposes of Part 7 of the Firearms Act 1996 – amended summons dismissed Legislation Cited: Firearms Act 1946 Firearms Act 1989 Firearms Act 1996 Firearms and Criminal Groups Legislation Amendment Act 2013 Firearms and Dangerous Weapons Act 1973 Interpretation Act 1987 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005, r 36.16(3A) Cases Cited: Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue (Northern Territory) (2009) 239 CLR 27; [2009] HCA 41 Cooper Brookes (Wollongong) Pty Ltd v Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1981) 147 CLR 297; [1981] HCA 26 Ellison and Another v Sandini Pty Ltd and Others (2018) 263 FCR 460; [2018] FCAFC 44 Jenks v Dickinson [1997] STC 853 Muller v Dalgety & Co Ltd (1909) 9 CLR 693; [1909] HCA 67 Newcastle Airport Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue (NSW) (2014) 99 ATR 748; [2014] NSWSC 1501 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 Stevens v Kabushiki Kaisha Sony Computer Entertainment (2005) 224 CLR 193; [2005] HCA 58 Wellington Capital Ltd v ASIC (2014) 254 CLR 288; [2014] HCA 43 Texts Cited: New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 25 June 1996 New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 1 December 1998 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Craig Holdsworth (Plaintiff) Commissioner of Police, NSW Police Force (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: S Free SC; N Simpson (Plaintiff) C Mantziaris (Defendant)