Evidence – Criminal trial - Sexual assault - Evidence of recent complaint - Hearsay evidence - Whether evidence of recent complaint relevant to facts in issue - Relationship between common law and Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) - Whether use of evidence unfairly prejudicial or misleading or confusing - Limiting use of evidence - Direction to jury.
Criminal law and procedure – Appeal - Criminal trial - Objection not taken at first instance - Whether leave to argue should have been granted.
MYT Engineering Pty Limited & Ors v Mulcon Pty Limited
Corporations – Deed of company arrangement - Whether instrument required to be executed as a deed.
Corporations – Deed of company arrangement - Instrument not executed in accordance with company's articles of association - Whether instrument made by or on behalf of company - Whether instrument authenticated so as to bind company.
Corporations – Deed of company arrangement - Statute required instrument to be executed within specified time - Whether s 445G(3) of the Corporations Law applies when instrument not executed within specified time.
Criminal law – Murder - Relationship between general Code provision establishing excuse from criminal responsibility and specific provision creating offence of murder - Whether accused must foresee death as a possible consequence of conduct - Principles of statutory construction - Relevance of common law in construction of Code.
Figgins Holdings Pty Ltd v SEAA Enterprises Pty Ltd
Real property – Torrens system - Unregistered lease - Variation of lease to reduce rent - Landlord in default under mortgage - Whether payment of reduced rent discharges lessee's rental obligations so as to bind purchaser following exercise of mortgagee's power of sale.
Mortgage – Torrens system - Statutory power of sale - Exercise - Nature of reversionary interest obtained by purchaser upon registration - Whether privity of title or interest exists between registered proprietor and former mortgagor or mortgagee.
Mortgage – Torrens system - Juridical nature of security interest - Comparison with old system mortgage - Rights and remedies of mortgagee under Transfer of Land Act 1958 (Vic), s 81.
Courts and tribunals – District Court of New South Wales - Powers - Asset preservation order made after judgment - Whether order beyond power.
Courts and tribunals – Powers - Implied power - Asset preservation order made after judgment - Whether power necessary for the effective exercise of jurisdiction - Relevance of express powers.
Contempt – District Court of New South Wales - Breach of order - Order beyond power - Whether contempt committed - Whether order a nullity or effective until set aside.
Costs – Availability - Proceedings criminal in nature but not a criminal prosecution.
Federal court – Interlocutory relief - Asset preservation order - Juridical foundation - Whether capable of arising against property of a non-party - Whether order preventing disposal of assets by non-party necessary to protect the administration of justice - Undertakings as to damages - Discretionary considerations in granting relief.
Companies – Interlocutory relief - Asset preservation order - Whether relief available against recipients of dividend payments - Whether relief available to protect goodwill.
Criminal law – Motor traffic offence - Prescribed concentration of alcohol - Breath samples furnished within 3 hours after driving exceeded prescribed limit - Later blood sample showing concentration of alcohol within prescribed limit - Whether offence committed - Proper interpretation of s 49(1)(f) of the Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic).
Precedent – Stare decisis - High Court - Whether Mills v Meeking [1990] HCA 6; (1990) 169 CLR 214 should be reconsidered.
Constitutional law – Inconsistency - Whether Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cth) is inconsistent with Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW).
Statutes – Construction - Whether Workers' Compensation Act 1926 (NSW) and Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW) apply to Australian Telecommunications Commission.
Courts and tribunals – Compensation Court of New South Wales - Whether matter arises under or involves the interpretation of the Constitution and is an exercise of federal jurisdiction.
Equity – Relief - Equitable estoppel - Constructive trust - Equitable charge - Whether relief confined to reversal of detriment - Relevance of other appropriate remedies and of third party interests to measure of relief.
Statutes – Construction - Whether ss 51AB, 52 and 74 of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) apply to the State of New South Wales - Whether State of New South Wales a "person" within the meaning of ss 6(3) and 75B(1) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) - Rule of construction embodied in maxim expressio unius est exclusio alterius - Whether s 64 of Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) operates to apply ss 6(3) and 75B(1) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) to the State of New South Wales - Whether s5(2) of the Crown Proceedings Act 1988 (NSW) operates to apply ss 6(3) and 75B(1) of the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth) to the State of New South Wales.
Practice and procedure – Preliminary questions of mixed fact and law - Judicial power - Purpose of judicial determinations - Refusal of courts to give advisory opinions or answer hypothetical questions - Distinction between declaratory judgments and advisory opinions - Distinction between demurrers and advisory opinions - Need to identify all essential facts.
Practice and procedure – Costs - Whether applicants in Federal Court proceedings entitled to rely on protection against liability for costs contained in s 47 of Legal Aid Commission Act 1979 (NSW).
Constitutional law – Federal jurisdiction - Law defining jurisdiction of federal court - Whether laws made under territories power are \laws made by the Parliament" for the purposes of s 76(ii) of the Constitution.
Constitutional law – Federal jurisdiction - Whether Family Court exercising federal jurisdiction - Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth)
Taxation and revenue – Income tax - Interest paid on loan for purpose of purchasing land intended for commercial development - Deductions - Interest on borrowed moneys - Losses or outgoings of a capital nature or incurred in gaining assessable income - Temporal relationship between incurred outgoing and receipt of income - Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (Cth) s 51 (1).
Negligence – Contributory negligence - Concurrent liability in contract and tort - Whether award of damages for breach of contract may be reduced under apportionment legislation - Wrongs Act 1936 (SA), s 27A.
Negligence – Contributory negligence - When available - Whether solicitor's client guilty of contributory negligence - Failure to take proper care of own interests - Defendant's duty to take reasonable care in contract and tort - Plaintiff's loss the very kind protected by defendant's duty.
Contracts – Solicitor and client - Whether duty to exercise reasonable care and skill should be implied as a term.
Contracts – Defences - Contributory negligence not available.
The Commonwealth of Australia v The State of Western Australia & Ors
Statutes – Construction - Whether Mining Act 1978 (WA) applies to land owned or leased by the Commonwealth.
Real property – Grants - Freehold grant - Crown lease - Reservations for mining and minerals - Construction of reservations.
Constitutional law – Effect of s 64 of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) - Application of Mining Act 1978 (WA) to land owned or leased by the Commonwealth.
Constitutional law – Inconsistency of laws - Whether Lands Acquisition Act 1989 (Cth) inconsistent with Mining Act 1978 (WA).
Constitutional law – Inconsistency of laws - Whether Defence Force Regulations (Cth) inconsistent with Mining Act 1978 (WA).
Constitutional law – Acquisition of property - Whether Defence Force Regulations (Cth) effect an \acquisition of property" under s 51 (xxxi) of the Constitution.
Criminal law – Evidence - Sexual assault - Expert evidence excluded under s 409B of Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) - Whether evidence of prior sexual assault is evidence of prior sexual activity or experience - Whether s 409B applies only to evidence of consensual prior sexual activity or experience.
Evidence – Admissibility of expert opinion under Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) - Expert opinion must be within field of specialised knowledge - Whether expert opinion must be based on facts themselves admissible - Whether parts of opinion severable.
Criminal law – Practice and procedure - Refusal to grant adjournment for purposes of calling expert evidence - Whether refusal constituted miscarriage of justice.
Criminal law – Dishonestly obtaining property belonging to another by deception - Whether cheque is property belonging to another - Whether bank cheque is property belonging to another.
Criminal law – Dishonestly obtaining property belonging to another by deception with intention of permanent deprivation of property - Whether person capable of intending to permanently deprive another of cheque.
