Buttigieg v Australian Communications and Media Authority

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Buttigieg v Australian Communications and Media Authority [2023] FCA 959

Appeal from:

Australian Communications and Media Authority v Jones (No 3) [2023] FCA 511

File number:

QUD 242 of 2023

Judgment of:

NICHOLAS J

Date of judgment:

14 August 2023

Catchwords:

PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE – applicant seeks leave to appeal from interlocutory judgment refusing to strike-out concise statement and order filing of statement of claim in its place – whether leave to appeal should be granted – consideration of proposed grounds of appeal – whether exercise of primary judge in relation to a matter of practice and procedure attended by sufficient doubt to warrant re-consideration by Full Court – no arguable basis for finding primary judge’s exercise of discretion miscarried – application for leave to appeal dismissed with costs   

Legislation:

Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) s 24(1A)

Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) s 15(2A)

Cases cited:

Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd v Phillip Morris Inc (1981) 148 CLR 170

Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Bettles [2020] FCA 1568

Banque Commerciale SA (en liq) v Akhil Holdings Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 279

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union v BHP Coal Pty Ltd (2015) 230 FCR 298

Hogan v Australian Crime Commission (2010) 240 CLR 651

Melbourne City Investments Pty Ltd v Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (2017) 252 FCR 1

Rawson Finances Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation [2016] FCAFC 95

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd v Apple Inc (2011) 217 FCR 238

Division:

General Division

Registry:

Queensland

National Practice Area:

Commercial and Corporations

Sub-area:

Regulator and Consumer Protection

Number of paragraphs:

12

Date of hearing:

14 August 2023

Counsel for the Applicant:

Mr AJH Morris KC with Mr SW Trewavas and Mr CM Thwaites

Solicitor for the Applicant:

Gilshenan & Luton Legal Practice

Counsel for the Respondents:

Mr D Roche with Mr M Pulsford

Solicitor for the Respondents:

Australian Government Solicitor

ORDERS

QUD 242 of 2023

BETWEEN:

BRENTON LEE BUTTIGIEG

Applicant

AND:

AUSTRALIAN COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA AUTHORITY

First Respondent

RHYS EDWARD JONES

Second Respondent

DIVERSE LINK PTY LTD ACN 641 292 088

Third Respondent

BRISBANE POKER PTY LTD (ACN 636 038 269)
Fourth Respondent

ORDER MADE BY:	NICHOLAS J
DATE OF ORDER:	14 AUGUST 2023

THE COURT ORDERS THAT:

1.The application for leave to appeal be dismissed.

2.The applicant for leave to appeal pay the first respondent’s costs of the application.

Note:   Entry of orders is dealt with in Rule 39.32 of the Federal Court Rules 2011.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

(Revised from Transcript)

NICHOLAS J:

1. Before me is an application brought by the applicant (“Mr Buttigieg”) pursuant to s 24(1A) of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) (“the Act”) seeking leave to appeal an interlocutory judgment of the primary judge delivered on 23 May 2023. By his judgment, his Honour dismissed an interlocutory application filed by Mr Buttigieg seeking an order that the first respondent’s (“ACMA”) concise statement dated 19 April 2022 be struck out and that the ACMA…