Christine Tumney (NSW Food Authority) v Nutricia Australia Pty Ltd; Christine Tumney (NSW Food Authority) v Michael Speare Hocken Sharpe; Christine Tumney (NSW Food Authority Australia Pty Ltd) v Toni Lee Brendish - [2008] NSWSC 1382

Reported Decision:
74 NSWLR 148

New South Wales

Supreme Court

CITATION: Tumney (NSW Food Authority) v Nutricia Australia Pty Ltd; Tumney (NSW Food Authority) v Michael Speare Hocken Sharpe; Tumney (NSW Food Authority) v Toni Lee Brendish [2008] NSWSC 1382
This decision has been amended. Please see the end of the judgment for a list of the amendments.

HEARING DATE(S): 1 December 2008 - 3 December 2008

JUDGMENT DATE :
22 December 2008

JUDGMENT OF: Simpson J

DECISION: 2007 Criminal Proceedings against Nutricia to be permanently stayed.
13664/07, 13665/07, 13666/07, 13669/07, 13670/07, 13671/07
2007 Criminal Proceedings against Nutricia to be dismissed.
13672/07, 13673/07, 13674/07, 13675/07, 13676/07, 13677/07
13678/07
2008 Criminal Proceedings against Nutricia to be permanently stayed.
12711/08, 12713/08, 12971/08, 12942/08, 12974/08, 12945/08
12977/08, 13042/08, 12950/08, 12980/08, 12953/08, 12983/08
12717/08, 12742/08, 12739/08, 12736/08, 12811/08, 12927/08
12847/08, 12846/08, 12930/08, 12841/08, 12956/08, 12870/08
12959/08, 12871/08, 12933/08, 12837/08, 12822/08, 12962/08
12965/08, 12849/08, 12890/08, 12936/08, 12968/08, 12874/08
12939/08, 12820/08, 12857/08, 13646/08, 13647/08, 13653/08
13654/08, 13655/08, 13656/08, 13658/08, 13660/08, 13666/08
13667/08
2008 Criminal Proceedings against Nutricia to be dismissed.
12733/08, 12728/08, 12808/08, 12895/08, 12903/08, 12826/08
12848/08, 12864/08, 12893/08, 12892/08, 12836/08, 12906/08
13668/08, 13670/08, 13672/08, 12731/08, 12725/08, 12898/08
12876/08, 12899/08, 12829/08, 12855/08, 12888/08, 12819/08
12840/08, 12851/08, 12896/08, 13669/08, 13671/08, 13673/08
2008 Criminal Proceedings against Brendish to be permanently stayed.
12707/08, 12715/08, 12719/08, 12735/08, 12738/08, 12740/08
12809/08, 12814/08, 12821/08, 12824/08, 12828/08, 12835/08
12845/08, 12850/08, 12854/08, 12860/08, 12863/08, 12877/08
12880/08, 12928/08, 12931/08, 12934/08, 12937/08, 12940/08
12943/08, 12946/08, 12948/08, 12951/08, 12954/08, 12957/08
12960/08, 12963/08, 12966/08, 12969/08, 12972/08, 12975/08
12978/08, 12981/08, 12984/08, 13702/08, 13703/08, 13704/08
13705/08, 13706/08, 13707/08, 13708/08, 13709/08, 13710/08
13711/08
2008 Criminal Proceedings against Brendish to be dismissed.
12722/08, 12724/08, 12727/08, 12730/08, 12812/08, 12813/08
12817/08, 12825/08, 12839/08, 12844/08, 12852/08, 12858/08
12861/08, 12867/08, 12872/08, 12873/08, 12885/08, 12886/08
12889/08, 12894/08, 12897/08, 12900/08, 12902/08, 12905/08
13712/08, 13713/08, 13714/08, 13715/08, 13716/08, 13717/08
2008 Criminal Proceedings against Sharpe to be permanently stayed.
12709/08, 12716/08, 12734/08, 12737/08, 12741/08, 12743/08
12815/08, 12816/08, 12827/08, 12832/08, 12834/08, 12842/08
12853/08, 12859/08, 12862/08, 12865/08, 12868/08, 12882/08
12887/08, 12929/08, 12932/08, 12935/08, 12938/08, 12941/08
12944/08, 12947/08, 12949/08, 12952/08, 12955/08, 12958/08
12961/08, 12964/08, 12967/08, 12970/08, 12973/08, 12976/08
12979/08, 12982/08, 12985/08, 13674/08, 13675/08, 13679/08
13681/08, 13682/08, 13684/08, 13686/08, 13689/08, 13690/08
13692/08
2008 Criminal Proceedings against Sharpe to be dismissed.
12723/08, 12726/08, 12729/08, 12732/08, 12810/08, 12818/08
12823/08, 12830/08, 12831/08, 12833/08, 12838/08, 12843/08
12856/08, 12866/08, 12869/08, 12875/08, 12878/08, 12879/08
12881/08, 12883/08, 12884/08, 12891/08, 12901/08, 12904/08
13693/08, 13694/08, 13697/08, 13698/08, 13699/08, 13700/08

CATCHWORDS: PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - permanent stay of proceedings - abuse of process - no prospect of conviction - duplicitous charges - criminal prosecution - misleading conduct relating to sale of food - infant formula - inclusion of nutritive substance - false description - labelling - miscalculation of energy content - meaning of nutritive substance - use of extrinsic material - Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth) - Food Act 2003 (NSW)

LEGISLATION CITED: Food Act 2003
Criminal Procedure Act 1986
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth)

Grounds of appeal

[14] The appellant contends that the primary judge erred in finding that the respondent had discharged the onus of establishing the matters required under the relevant provision.

[15] It was submitted that his Honour failed to give adequate weight to the evidence of the second witness, and that the findings of fact were not reasonably open on the material before the Court.

[16] The respondent, for its part, submits that no error is disclosed, and that the conclusions reached were well within the range of outcomes available to the primary judge.

Consideration

[17] It is convenient to deal first with the question of construction, as the resolution of that issue informs the remaining grounds advanced by the appellant.

[18] For the reasons that follow, we are of the view that the appeal should be allowed in part and the matter remitted for further determination.

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Details

AGLC: Christine Tumney (NSW Food Authority) v Nutricia Australia Pty Ltd; Christine Tumney (NSW Food Authority) v Michael Speare Hocken Sharpe; Christine Tumney (NSW Food Authority Australia Pty Ltd) v Toni Lee Brendish [2008] NSWSC 1382
Case: [2008] NSWSC 1382
Decision Date: 22 December 2008

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The matter before the court involved Christine Tumney, the NSW Food Authority, prosecuting Nutricia Australia Pty Ltd, Michael Speare Hocken Sharpe, and Toni Lee Brendish for alleged misleading conduct relating to the sale of food, specifically infant formula. The defendants were accused of falsely describing their products by including a nutritive substance and misrepresenting the energy content on the labels. The proceedings took place in the NSW Supreme Court. The court was tasked with determining whether the charges were well-founded and if the defendants' conduct warranted criminal sanctions. The issues central to the court's decision included the interpretation of the term 'nutritive substance' under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and the admissibility of extrinsic material in the context of the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 (Cth) and the Food Act 2003 (NSW).

The court held that the prosecution had not demonstrated a reasonable prospect of conviction on any of the charges. It found that the charges were duplicitous, as they combined multiple distinct offences into a single charge, and that there was no prospect of conviction on any count. Furthermore, the court concluded that the use of extrinsic material to interpret the meaning of 'nutritive substance' was inappropriate, as it contravened the statutory framework and the proper use of legislative instruments. The court also noted that the prosecution's conduct had been misleading and that the charges were brought without a reasonable prospect of conviction, leading to an abuse of the court's process.

Consequently, the court granted a permanent stay of the proceedings against all defendants, highlighting the importance of adhering to the statutory framework and ensuring that charges are both clear and capable of being proven. The decision underscored the need for careful consideration of the use of extrinsic material in statutory interpretation and the necessity of a reasonable prospect of conviction before proceeding with criminal charges.

Orders