contents · commercial disputes between resourceful commercial entities x access to justice is a...
TRANSCRIPT
Contents Introduction to Civil Procedure ................................................................................................ 1
Procedural Law ...................................................................................................................... 1
Guiding Principle for Procedure ............................................................................................ 1
Adversarial System of Litigation ........................................................................................... 1
Cards on the Table Approach to Litigation ............................................................................ 2
Principle of Open Justice........................................................................................................ 2
Provision of Reasons for Decisions ....................................................................................... 3
Principle of a Fair Trial .......................................................................................................... 4
The Crown as a Model Litigant ............................................................................................. 5
Right to a Fair Trial Recognised in HR Legislation............................................................... 6
NSW Court System: An Overview ........................................................................................ 7
Supreme Court NSW .......................................................................................................... 7
Industrial Relations Commission and Industrial Court of NSW ........................................ 7
District Court of NSW ........................................................................................................ 8
Local Court of NSW ........................................................................................................... 8
Case Management ..................................................................................................................... 9
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied........................................................................................... 9
Costs ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Litigation Costs ................................................................................................................ 12
Caseload Management ......................................................................................................... 13
CPA & UCPR ................................................................................................................... 13
Managerial Judging .......................................................................................................... 14
Directions ............................................................................................................................. 15
Application of the CPA and the UCPR ................................................................................ 16
Ethical Requirements ........................................................................................................... 18
Practice Notes ....................................................................................................................... 19
Jurisdiction ............................................................................................................................... 21
Cross–Vesting Legislation ................................................................................................ 21
Limitation Periods ................................................................................................................... 23
Definition and Rationale ...................................................................................................... 23
Limitation Periods are Substantive Law .............................................................................. 24
Contract and Tort Limitation Periods in NSW .................................................................... 25
Personal Injury Limitations Periods in NSW ....................................................................... 25
Preliminary Discovery ............................................................................................................. 27
Preliminary Discovery for Identity or Whereabouts ............................................................ 27
Preliminary Discovery for Deciding Whether or Not to Commence Proceedings .............. 27
Procedure .............................................................................................................................. 28
Interim Preservation Orders ................................................................................................... 33
Power to grant interim injunctions ....................................................................................... 33
x District Court Act 1973 (NSW) s 46 ..................................................................... 33
- Gives power to the District Court to grant injunctions, including interlocutory injunctions, in “actions” as defined in s 44 .................................................................. 33
Interim Injunctions ............................................................................................................... 34
Freezing Orders (Mareva Injunction) ................................................................................... 34
Practice Note SC Gen 14 - Supreme Court – Freezing/Mareva Orders ........................... 37
Search Orders (Anton Piller Orders) .................................................................................... 40
Practice Note SC Gen 13 Search/Anton Piller Orders ..................................................... 40
Alternatives to Litigation ........................................................................................................ 47
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 47
Alternative Dispute Resolution ........................................................................................ 47
Growth of ADR ................................................................................................................ 47
Issues with ADR ............................................................................................................... 48
Types of ADR Processes ...................................................................................................... 52
Negotiation ........................................................................................................................... 53
Positional v Interest-Based Negotiation ........................................................................... 54
Role of the Law in Interest-Based Negotiation ................................................................ 54
Mediation ............................................................................................................................. 55
Why Choose Mediation? .................................................................................................. 56
Comparison Between Negotiation and Mediation............................................................ 57
Role of the Lawyer ........................................................................................................... 57
Compulsory Mediation ..................................................................................................... 57
Ripeness of a Dispute for Mediation ................................................................................ 61
Mediation Process ................................................................................................................ 61
Preparing for a Mediation ................................................................................................. 62
Underlying Benefits of Prelim Conference ...................................................................... 63
Challenges for the Future Regarding Prelim Processes.................................................... 63
Role of the Position Paper in the Prelim Processes .......................................................... 63
Reframing the Position Paper ........................................................................................... 64
Advocacy at Mediation ........................................................................................................ 65
Understanding the Mediation Process and Ensuring that the Client Understands It ........ 66
Understanding the Roles That a Lawyer Can Play at Mediation ..................................... 66
Understanding the Dispute and Client’s Interest and Needs ............................................ 66
Assisting the Client to Seek Lateral Resolution of the Dispute ....................................... 66
Advising the Client of the Likely Best and Worst Outcomes .......................................... 67
Preparing the Client for the ‘End Game’ of Mediation .................................................... 67
Engaging in appropriate advocacy at the mediation ......................................................... 67
Arbitration ............................................................................................................................ 68
Advantages of Arbitration ................................................................................................ 69
Disadvantages of Arbitration ............................................................................................ 70
Compulsory Arbitration .................................................................................................... 71
Commercial Arbitration Act 2010 (NSW) (Voluntary Arbitration) ................................. 72
Compulsory Referral to a Referee .................................................................................... 74
Enforceability of Agreements to use ADR .......................................................................... 75
Settlements Negotiation Privilege .......................................................................................... 77
Litigation or ADR?.................................................................................................................... 81
Continuing Role for Litigation ............................................................................................. 81
Application and Development of the Law ........................................................................ 81
Procedural Protections ...................................................................................................... 82
Urgent Relief .................................................................................................................... 82
Compelling Disclosure of Information ............................................................................. 84
State Enforcement Mechanisms ....................................................................................... 84
Broader View of Justice ....................................................................................................... 85
What is Justice? ................................................................................................................ 85
Access to Justice Movement & Justice Definition ........................................................... 86
Justice Beyond Courts ...................................................................................................... 86
Capacity of Court-Based Adjudication to Deliver Justice................................................ 87
Costs & Security for Costs ....................................................................................................... 89
Proportionality of Costs ....................................................................................................... 89
Duties of Litigants ................................................................................................................ 90
Costs ..................................................................................................................................... 90
Lawyers and Costs ............................................................................................................... 91
Parties and Costs .................................................................................................................. 95
Solicitor and Client Costs ................................................................................................. 95
Party and Party Costs ........................................................................................................ 95
Costs Follow the Event (Usual Costs Order) ................................................................... 97
Specific Costs Orders ........................................................................................................... 98
No Order as to Costs ......................................................................................................... 98
Costs of the Day ............................................................................................................... 98
Costs Thrown Away ......................................................................................................... 98
Costs in any Event ............................................................................................................ 98
Costs in the Cause ............................................................................................................ 98
Security for Costs: ................................................................................................................ 98
Security for Costs Under Inherent Jurisdiction .............................................................. 101
Funding Litigation .................................................................................................................. 103
Future of Litigation Funding in Australia .......................................................................... 104
Litigation Funding and Access to Justice ....................................................................... 105
Litigation Funders Market .............................................................................................. 106
Emerging Opportunities for Funders .............................................................................. 106
Regulation of Litigation Funders in Australia ................................................................ 107
Future of Regulation ....................................................................................................... 108
Lawyers and Litigation: A Pathway Out to Wealth and Fame? ......................................... 108
Contradictions of a Profession ........................................................................................ 108
Ascendancy of Economic Values ................................................................................... 108
New Paradigm ................................................................................................................ 109
New Challenges .............................................................................................................. 110
The Future ...................................................................................................................... 110
The Future of Pro Bono ...................................................................................................... 111
Pro Bono Today .............................................................................................................. 111
Why Lawyers Act Pro Bono ........................................................................................... 112
Relationship with Legal Aid ........................................................................................... 112
How Much is Done? ....................................................................................................... 112
Key Providers ................................................................................................................. 113
Engaging with Dispute Resolution ................................................................................. 113
Litigation Barriers .......................................................................................................... 113
Alternative Dispute Resolution ...................................................................................... 114
Offers of Compromise and Calderbank Letters .................................................................... 117
Offers of Compromise Under the UCPR ........................................................................... 117
Effect of New Rules ....................................................................................................... 118
Calderbank Offers .............................................................................................................. 118
Basic Rule as to Cost ...................................................................................................... 118
Policy and Purpose ......................................................................................................... 119
Calderbank Offers and Indemnity Costs ........................................................................ 119
Genuine Compromise ..................................................................................................... 119
Rejection of Offer Must be Unreasonable ...................................................................... 120
Usual Form of a Calderbank Offer ................................................................................. 120
Types of Offers ............................................................................................................... 121
Calderbank Offers v Rule Offers .................................................................................... 122
Causes of Action (Res Judicata) ............................................................................................ 125
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 125
Cause of Action Estoppel ................................................................................................... 126
Issue Estoppel ..................................................................................................................... 126
Merger in Judgment ........................................................................................................... 127
Anshun Estoppel ................................................................................................................. 128
Pleadings ................................................................................................................................ 133
Originating Process ............................................................................................................ 133
Appearance ......................................................................................................................... 134
Pleadings ............................................................................................................................ 135
Material Facts ................................................................................................................. 137
Evidence ......................................................................................................................... 138
No Conclusions of Law as Material Facts ...................................................................... 138
Surprise ........................................................................................................................... 138
Verification ..................................................................................................................... 139
Particulars ........................................................................................................................... 139
Particulars and Evidence ................................................................................................ 141
Required Particulars ....................................................................................................... 142
Striking Out Pleadings ....................................................................................................... 142
Pleadings that Cause Prejudice, Embarrassment or Delay ............................................. 143
Pleadings that Do Not Disclose a Reasonable Cause of Action ..................................... 143
Service of Documents............................................................................................................ 145
Service of Documents Generally........................................................................................ 145
Service of Originating Process ........................................................................................... 145
Personal Service ................................................................................................................. 146
Service Constituting Personal Service ............................................................................... 148
Service by Agreement, Acknowledgment or Undertaking ................................................ 148
Acceptance of Service by a Solicitor ................................................................................. 149
Substituted and Informal Service ....................................................................................... 149
Confirmation of Informal Service ...................................................................................... 151
Waiver of Objection to Service .......................................................................................... 151
Service Beyond the Jurisdiction ......................................................................................... 151
Service Outside NSW but Within AUS ............................................................................. 151
Service Overseas ................................................................................................................ 153
UCPR PT 11 ................................................................................................................... 153
Service by Private Means - UCPR Pt 11 (Division 1) ................................................... 153
Service by Diplomatic Channels – UCPR Pt 11 (Division 2) ........................................ 155
Service Overseas: Under the Hague Convention ........................................................... 157
Client Legal Privilege (CLP) .................................................................................................... 159
Rationale for Client Legal Privilege................................................................................... 159
Dominant Purpose Test to Determine Client Legal Privilege ............................................ 159
Loss of Client Privilege ...................................................................................................... 165
Representative Proceedings (Class Actions) ........................................................................ 173
Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 173
Commencing a Class Action .............................................................................................. 173
Seven of More Persons ................................................................................................... 174
Claims Against the Same Person .................................................................................... 174
Same, Similar or Related Circumstances ....................................................................... 174
Substantial Common Issue of Law or Fact ..................................................................... 175
Class Action Proceedings ............................................................................................... 175
Discontinuance and Subgroups .......................................................................................... 176
Discontinuing a Class Action ......................................................................................... 176
Sub-Groups and Individual Issues .................................................................................. 177
Class Actions in Australia: (Still) a work in progress ........................................................ 177
Group Definition and the Right to Opt Out........................................................................ 178
Right to Opt Out ............................................................................................................. 178
Reconciling Litigation Funding and the Opt Out Group Definition .............................. 179
The Closed Class ............................................................................................................ 179
Settlement ........................................................................................................................... 180
Shareholder Class Actions in Australia – The Perfect Storm? ....................................... 180
Requirements for Court Approval .................................................................................. 181
Discovery ............................................................................................................................... 183
Discovery of Documents .................................................................................................... 183
Problems caused by the discovery process ..................................................................... 183
Improving the Discovery Process .............................................................................. 185
Discovery Process .......................................................................................................... 186
Practice note SC EQ 11: Disclosure in the Equity Division .......................................... 189
Implied Undertaking ............................................................................................................. 193
An Implied Undertaking an Obligation of Substantive Law (Hearne v Street) ................. 193
Third Party Obligations (Hearne v Street) ......................................................................... 194
Supreme Court Practice Note Gen 2 .................................................................................. 194
Discovery and Technology .................................................................................................... 197
Scope of Discovery ......................................................................................................... 199
Accessible/Inaccessible ESI ........................................................................................... 199
Format of ESI ................................................................................................................. 199
Metadata ......................................................................................................................... 200
Finding Responsive ESI ................................................................................................. 200
Co-operation – The New Paradigm ................................................................................ 201
Electronically Stored Information and Social Media ......................................................... 201
ESI v Paper-Based Information ...................................................................................... 201
Cloud Computing ........................................................................................................... 202
Social Media ................................................................................................................... 202
ESI and Discovery .......................................................................................................... 202
Social Media and Discovery ........................................................................................... 203
Obtaining Access to ESI and Social Media .................................................................... 203
Authenticity and Reliability ........................................................................................... 204
Subpoenas and Interrogatories ............................................................................................ 205
Subpoena to Produce .......................................................................................................... 205
Setting Aside a Subpoena ............................................................................................... 205
Interrogatories .................................................................................................................... 209
Witness Preparation & Affidavits ......................................................................................... 211
Witness Preparation............................................................................................................ 211
Ethical and Effective Witness Preparation ..................................................................... 211
Affidavits ............................................................................................................................ 215
Legal Requirements for Affidavits ................................................................................. 216
Oaths Act 1900 (NSW) .................................................................................................. 216
Drafting Affidavits ......................................................................................................... 219
False Swearing ................................................................................................................ 221
Practical Litigation in the Federal Court of Australia: Affidavits & False Swearing .... 223
Practical Litigation in the Federal Court of Australia: Affidavits & Written or Oral Evidence. ........................................................................................................................ 225
Oral or Written Evidence ................................................................................................ 225
Concluding Proceedings ........................................................................................................ 227
Summary Disposal ............................................................................................................. 227
Summary Judgment ............................................................................................................ 227
Default Judgment ............................................................................................................... 228
Setting Aside a Default Judgment .................................................................................. 229
Summary Dismissal............................................................................................................ 230
No Reasonable Prospect of Success ................................................................................... 232
Want of Prosecution ........................................................................................................... 233
1
Introduction to Civil Procedure Procedural Law Procedural law is “rules which are directed to governing ir regulating the mode or conduct of ct proceedings.” (McKain v RW Miller & Co (SA) (1991)). It is the mode or method of
enforcing a right. Procedural law is differentiated from substantive law in that procedural law regulates the way in which substantive rights and obligations are claimed and enforced without impacting on the definition of those particular substantive rights.
The purpose of procedural law is to provide rules to facilitate dispute resolution.
Guiding Principle for Procedure The guiding pple is derived from s 56 CPA – to facilitate the just, quick and chea resolution
of the real issues in the proceedings. This is supplemented by s 60 – resolving issues in such a way that the cost to the parties is proportionate to the importance and complexity of the
subject matter in dispute.
Adversarial System of Litigation The adversarial system of litigation has been criticised on the grounds that it prevents access to justice due to its cost (public and private) and delay. It has also been criticised for
being unjust, unequal and producing inaccurate results.
Victorian Law Reform Commission, Civil Justice Review: Report 14 (2008) Resource Allocation and distribution of civil and criminal cases
x Funding is a critical factor affecting the operation of the civil justice system
x Apart from its impact on the level of judicial and other resources, funding will influence the quality of judicial and other court personnel e.g. judicial personnel earn
less than those practicing privately; there needs to be incentives
x According to the Productivity Commission, in the 05-06 financial years, recurrent
expenditure on court administration for civil courts in VIC amounted to $86.3 million. In the same period, income derived through the civil courts in VIC, excluding
fines amounted to $33.9 million. In recent times there have been increasing calls for
users of the court system to pay more for the services provided, including in commercial disputes between resourceful commercial entities
x Access to justice is a qualified right. Governments cannot be expected to provide unlimited publicly funded resources for the adjudication of disputes, particularly
private dispute which do not have significant interest beyond those of the parties
x From a policy perspective, there is a need to balance the governments duty to use
public funds responsibly and the obligation of parties to bear some responsibility for resolving their differences
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x Requirements of effectiveness, efficiency and fairness are easily translated to the
provision of court dispute resolution
x Court adjudication is effective if it determines claims with reasonable accuracy,
within a reasonable time and with proportionate investment of litigant and public
resources
x Adjudication is fair if the system ensures that its resources and facilities are justly
distributed between all litigants seeking court help and between present and future
litigants
x Generally accepted goals of the civil justice system cannot be pursued without some
moderation, or pursued by unfair means or by exhausting every avenue of inquiry
Cards on the Table Approach to Litigation Baulderstone Hornibrook Engineering v Gordian Runoff [2008] NSWCA 243 Allsop P
x The need for clarity, precision, and openness in the conduct of litigation … flows most clearly from the statutory duty of a party … in civil proceedings to assit the ct to further the overriding purpose to facilitate just, quick and cheap resolution fo the real issues in dispute
x It cannot be emphasised too strongly that it is the responsibility of the parties
through their legal representatives to exercise a degree of cooperation to express
the issues for trial before and during the trial
x Such cooperation can now be taken as an aspect of modern civil procedure in the
running of any civil litigation
x This requirement is mandated under statute (Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW)
x Encompasses the requirement to be clear and precise – extends to all aspects of the engagement in the Court’s processes
Principle of Open Justice Essential to the legal system, as Spigelman said in John Fairfax v District Court of NSW:
“The conduct of proceedings in public… is an essential quality of an Australian court of
justice. There is no inherent power of the court to exclude the public”
Qualified in R v Richards & Bijkerk:
“Court proceedings are conducted in public and exposed to the cathartic glare of publicity. Publicity is one of the great protections against the exercise of arbitrary power and a
reassurance that justice is administered fairly and impartially.”
The ct can depart from open justice in various ways including:
x Prohibition of publication of all or part of proceedings
x Video-link for witnesses
x Pseudonym orders
x Suppression orders
3
The power to make orders to ‘close’ justice is an inherent power of a superior court and in statutory courts the power to make orders that depart from the open justice principle can
be implies as necessary to proper function of the ct. Considered in John Fairfax as only to be
permitted when “really necessary to secure the proper administration of justice”. This has been interpreted to mean that:
“The basis is that if the kind of order proposed is not made, the result will be that particular consequences will flow that those consequences are unacceptable, and that therefore the power to make orders which will prevent them is to be implied as necessary to the proper
function of the court” (Mahoney JA in John Fairfax).
Hogan v Hinch (2011) 275 ALR 408 Hinch, a radio broadcaster was responsible for a website (HINCH.net). Charged with 5
counts if contravening three suppression orders made under s 42 of Serious Sex Offenders
Monitoring Act 2005 (Vic). Suppression orders prohibited publication of any information that might enable the identification of certain convicted sex offenders, who were the
subject of post-custodial extended supervisions
Hinch claimed s 42 was invalid because
x The jurisdiction or power conferred by it diminished the ‘institutional integrity’ of the courts, contrary to the implied requirement of Ch. III of the constitution and;
x The prohibitions made under s 42 were contrary to an implication derived from Ch. II
of the Constitution that all courts must be open to the public Held: appeal dismissed. It is a common law corollary of open-court principle that absent any
restriction ordered by the court, anybody may publish fair and accurate report of proceedings. There are established exceptions to the general rule that judicial proceedings
shall be conducted in public and that category is not closed to the parliament. As such, argument fails – this would limit the legislative power of parliament, it indicates that a
federal law would not deny an essential characteristic of a court exercising federal
jurisdiction.
Provision of Reasons for Decisions Wainhou v NSW (2011) 243 CLR 181 Plaintiff, member and former president of Hells Angels, sought a declaration that the Crimes (Criminal Organisations Control) Act 2009 (NSW) was invalid. Part 2 of the Act provided that
the Commissioner of Police may apply to an “eligible judge” of the Supreme Court for a declaration that a particular organisation is a “declared organisation” for the purposes of
the Act if satisfied that:
x Members of the organisation associate for the purpose of organising, facilitating,
supporting, or engaging in serious criminal activity, and
x The organisation represents a risk to public safety and order in the State
4
Argued that this contravened the open court principle
Held: act invalid. A court, which does not give reasons for, a final decision for important
interlocutory decisions withholds from public scrutiny that which is at the heart of the
judicial function, etc. Act is invalid as it undermines the open justice principle in a seemingly
arbitrary fashion (minority). Act imposes no duty on the judge to provide reasons or grounds when deciding applications to make or revoke a declaration, and for that reason the Act is invalid (majority).
Principle of a Fair Trial Spigelman, “The Truth can Cost too Much: The principle of a fair trial” (2004)
x It is desirable that the requirement of fairness be separately identified since it
transcends the content of more particularised legal rules and principles and provides
the ultimate rationale and touchstone of the rules and practices which the common law requires to be observed
x In AUS there is no such “right to a fair trial” enshrined in any concrete or written constitutional sense. Instead it is a pple.
x In a principle base system, significance and weight to be given to fair trial considerations will vary from case to case, perhaps to a greater degree than a rights
based system
x An inherent form of protection of procedural rights can be found in chapter II
although, there is no clear majority decision to that effect
x Obligation to the pursuit of natural justice applies with particular force to judicial
proceedings
x Trial procedure including the imposition of an onus of proof and the differentiation
between civil and criminal proceedings reflects an understanding of what fairness
requires in the particular circumstances
Stead v State Government Insurance Commission (1986) 161 CLR 141 Action for negligence arising out of a motor accident. Issue was whether the plaintiff developed a neurotic condition from the accident. Whether the accident resulting from the
defendant’s negligence was the cause or a material factor contributing to the condition was a major issue ∴ expert evidence was relied on. Trial judge directed the plaintiff so as not to
address the evidence given by expert in his closing argument, however when delivering his
judgment, his Honour referred to that evidence. Appealed to SCSA, appeal was dismissed because “the enquiry whether a miscarriage of justice has occurred involves asking whether the event said to cause a miscarriage could
have made any difference to result.”
Appealed to HCA. Held: new trial. Not every departure from the rules of natural justice at trial will entitled
aggrieved party to a new trial on appeal – requires context/gravity etc. Where the denial of natural justice affects the entitlement of a party to make submissions on an issue of fact,
5
especially when the issue is whether the evidence of a witness should be accepted, it is
certainly questionable whether the requirements of natural justice would’ve led to a different outcome. It is necessary to establish that had the trial been properly conducted, a
different result would’ve been reached. Mastronardi v NSW [2007] NSWCA 54 Plaintiff was a prisoner at Silverwater, seriously assaulted in his cell by fellow prisoners and
brought a case of negligence against the state. Gave evidence at trial that he had been assaulted, trial judge rejected his testimony. Appealed on the grounds that a “substantial wrong or miscarriage had thereby been occasioned to allow for the ordering of a new trial
pursuant to Supreme Court Rules Pt. 51 r 23 (UCPR r 51.53)
Held: retrial. May be properly said that the Appellant did not have a fair trial according to
law. The case lacked evidence of “a hearing where the evidence given is to be given proper, genuine and realistic consideration in the decision subsequently to be made.” Because the appellant did not have a trial “untainted by material factual errors,” he is entitled to a re-
trial. Appellant was unsuccessful in trial and the later appeal.
The Crown as a Model Litigant NSW Model Litigant Policy for Civil Litigation Approved for adoption on 8 July 2008 The Obligation
x The State and its agencies must act as a model litigant in the conduct of litigation
Nature of Obligation
x Must act promptly
x Must pay legitimate claims without litigation, including partial settlements, or
interim payments
x Must act consistently
x Must endeavour to avoid litigation wherever possible
x Must keep costs to a minimum
x Must not take advantage of under-resourced claimants with a legitimate claim (oh
sure, I bet the NEVER do this)
x Must not rely on technical defences unless the interests of the State or an agency
would be prejudiced by the failure to comply with a particular requirement
x Must not undertake or pursue appeals unless reasonable prospects for success
x Must apologise where the state/their lawyers have acted wrongfully
6
Right to a Fair Trial Recognised in HR Legislation
ICCPR Article 14
All persons shall be equal before the courts and tribunals. In the determination of any criminal charge against him, or of his rights and obligations in a suit at law, everyone shall be entitled to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal
established by law. The press and the public may be excluded from all or part of a trial for
reasons of morals, public order (ordre public) or national security in a democratic society, or
when the interest of the private lives of the parties so requires, or to the extent strictly necessary in the opinion of the court in special circumstances where publicity would prejudice the interests of justice; but any judgement rendered in a criminal case or in a suit
at law shall be made public except where the interest of juvenile persons otherwise requires or the proceedings concern matrimonial disputes or the guardianship of children.
Human Rights Act (2004) ACT s 21
21 Fair Trial
(1) Everyone has the right to have criminal charges, and rights and obligations recognised by
law, decided by a competent, independent and impartial court or tribunal after a fair and public hearing.
(2) However, the press and public may be excluded from all or part of a trial— (a) To protect morals, public order or national security in a democratic society; or (b) If the interest of the private lives of the parties require the exclusion; or
(c) If, and to the extent that, the exclusion is strictly necessary, in special circumstances of
the case, because publicity would otherwise prejudice the interests of justice.
(3) But each judgment in a criminal or civil proceeding must be made public unless the
interest of a child requires that the judgment not be made public.
Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (VIC) s 24 24 Fair hearing
(1) A person charged with a criminal offence or a party to a civil proceeding has the right to have the charge or proceeding decided by a competent, independent and impartial court or tribunal after a fair and public hearing.
(2) Despite subsection (1), a court or tribunal may exclude members of media organisations or other persons or the general public from all or part of a hearing if permitted to do so by a law other than this Charter.
Note to s. 24(2) substituted by No. 58/2013 s. 37. Note: See Part 5 of the Open Courts Act 2013.
(3) All judgments or decisions made by a court or tribunal in a criminal or civil proceeding must be made public unless the best interests of a child otherwise requires or a law other than this Charter otherwise permits.
7
Civil Justice Review – Human Rights Considerations VLC (2008) Some areas where there may be tension/conflict between procedural reform and human
rights protections include:
x Limitations on expert evidence
x Limitations on publicly funded legal services
x Excessive court fees and charges
x Limitations on calling witnesses
x Limitations on time allowed for hearings/cross-examination
x Limitations on proceedings in public
x Compulsory referral to mediation/arbitration
x Cases where hearings are not held within a reasonable time
x Nature of the assistance required to be given to self-represented litigants
x Restrictions on the right to a final hearing, including provisions for striking out claims
or defences
x Economic constraints on the right to a hearing, including security for costs
x Paper-based vs. oral processes
x Applications for adjournment
x Disclosure obligations and discovery
x Exclusion of evidence
x Requirements relating to “proportionality”
x Judicial appointment, tenure and bias
x Funding of civil system
NSW Court System: An Overview Supreme Court NSW
x Highest Court in NSW – operates under the Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) & the
Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW)
x Unlimited civil jurisdiction and deals with the most serious criminal matters
x Common law division deals with civil, criminal and administrative law matters where
more than $750,000 is claimed
x Equity division deals with cases involving commercial law, corporations law, equity,
trusts, probate and matters pursuant to family law legislation
x Two appellate divisions: the Court of Appeal and the Court of Criminal Appeal
x Court of Appeal consists of judges who hear civil appeals
x Court of Criminal Appeal hears appeals arising from criminal matters from the Supreme Court, District Court, Land and Environment Court and some tribunals
x Appeal bench is usually three justices, full bench = 5
Industrial Relations Commission and Industrial Court of NSW x Established under the Industrial Relations Act 1996