Mendonca v Legal Services Commissioner [2020] NSWCA 84

Court of Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Mendonca v Legal Services Commissioner [2020] NSWCA 84 Hearing dates: 18 February 2020 Decision date: 07 May 2020 Before: Basten JA at [1]; Leeming JA at [2]; McCallum JA at [3] Decision: Dismiss the summons for leave to appeal with costs Catchwords: APPEAL – application for leave to appeal – proposed appeal from order dismissing summons for judicial review – decision of the Legal Services Commissioner not to conduct an internal review of a decision of the Law Society to close a complaint against a solicitor –power to conduct a review at the "absolute discretion" of the Commissioner – no arguable error identified in primary judge's decision to dismiss the summons Legislation Cited: Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), s 101(2)(r) Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW), ss 266(1), 300, 313(1) Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW), rr 51.14 Cases Cited: D'Orta Ekenaike v Victoria Legal Aid (2005) 223 CLR 1; [2005] HCA 12 Hamod v State of New South Wales [2011] NSWCA 375 Hot Holdings Pty Ltd v Creasy (1996) 185 CLR 149; [1996] HCA 44 La La Land Byron Bay Pty Ltd v The Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority [2015] NSWCA 254 Mendonca v Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Pty Ltd [2014] FCCA 1042 Mendonca v Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 246 Mendonca v Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Pty Ltd as Trustee for Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Trust (District Court (NSW), Balla DCJ, 12 June 2014, unrep) Mendonca v Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Pty Ltd as Trustee for Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Trust (District Court (NSW), Balla DCJ, 27 June 2014, unrep) Mendonca v Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Pty Ltd as Trustee for Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Trust (District Court (NSW), McLoughlin DCJ, 6 November 2015, unrep) Mendonca v Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Pty Ltd as Trustee for Chan & Naylor (Parramatta) Trust (District Court (NSW), McLoughlin DCJ, 18 November 2015, unrep) Mendonca v Dooley & Associates Solicitors Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 144 Mendonca v Legal Services Commissioner [2019] NSWSC 409 Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZSSJ (2016) 259 CLR 180; [2016] HCA 29 Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services v Smith (2017) 95 NSWLR 597; [2017] NSWCA 206 XYZ v State Trustees Limited [2006] VSC 444 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Gerard Mendoca (Applicant) Legal Services Commissioner (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: Applicant self-represented R Withana (Respondent)