High Court Rules (Amendment) (Cth)

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Statutory Rules 1996

No. 260 1

__________________

High Court Rules 2(Amendment)

WE, Justices of the High Court of Australia, make the following Rules of Court under the Judiciary Act 1903.

Dated 22 November 1996.

 

 F. G. BRENNAN

 DARYL DAWSON

 JOHN TOOHEY

 L.S. M. GAUDRON

 M. H. MCHUGH

 WILLIAM GUMMOW

 MICHAEL KIRBY

 Justices of the High

 Court of Australia

 

C. M. DOOGAN

Chief Executive and

Principal Registrar

 

____________

1.   Commencement

1.1   These Rules commence on 1 January 1997.

2.   Amendment

2.1   The High Court Rules are amended as set out in these Rules.

3.   Order 69A (Applications for leave or special leave to appeal)

3.1   Omit the Order, substitute:

ORDER 69A

APPLICATIONS FOR LEAVE OR SPECIAL LEAVE TO APPEAL

Interpretation

1. In this Order, unless the contrary intention appears:

‘applicant’, in relation to an application, means the person making the application;

‘application’ means an application for leave or special leave to appeal to the Court and for the purpose of rule 14 includes an application filed prior to 1 January 1997;

‘Court below’ means the Court, Justice or Judge pronouncing the judgment below;

‘indictment’ includes an information or other process setting out the offence with which an applicant was charged before the court first recording a conviction or sentence;

‘judgment’ includes an order, a conviction and a sentence;

‘judgment below’, in relation to an application, means the judgment from which it is sought to appeal;

‘parties’ means an applicant and any respondent who has filed an appearance;

‘respondent’, in relation to an application, means a person who is required to be served with the application other than the proper officer of the Court below;

‘unrepresented person’ means an applicant or respondent to an application for leave or special leave to appeal who does not have legal representation.

Initiation of application

 “2.(1) An application shall be in the form numbered 61 in the First Schedule.

 “(2) An application shall be accompanied by the following documents:

  • (a)

    the judgment of the Court below;

  • (b)

    the reasons for the judgment below;

  • (c)

    if the judgment below determines an appeal or reviews a decision:

    • (i)

      a copy of the primary judgment or decision; and

    • (ii)

      the reasons (if any) of the primary court or decision-maker that were before the Court below;

  • (d)

    in a criminal case:

    • (i)

      the indictment, the summing-up or charge; and

    • (ii)

      if the application relates to the sentence imposed on the applicant—the judge’s remarks on sentencing;

  • (e)

    such other documents, if any, as are necessary for the proper determination of the application.

Time for filing application

 “3.(1) An application shall be filed within 28 days after the judgment below was pronounced.

 “(2)Where an application is not filed within the time limited by subrule (1), an order shall be sought in the application that compliance with subrule (1) be dispensed with.

 “(3) Subject to any other direction which may be given by the Registrar, the application shall be filed in the office of the Registry in the State or Territory in which the proceedings in the Court below were commenced.

Service

4.(1)A copy of the application and of the documents filed under subrule 2 (2) shall be served on each respondent within 7 days after filing the application.

(2)A copy of the application shall be served on the Registrar or other proper officer of the Court below within 7 days after filing the application.

(3) Service of any document under this rule may be effected:

  • (a)

    in the manner provided by these Rules for the service of documents; or

  • (b)

    by leaving a copy at the address for service, if any, of the party to be served in the proceedings from which the application is brought.

Appearance

 “5.(1) A respondent opposing or intending to appear on the hearing of an application shall, within 14 days of service of the application, file an appearance and serve a copy on the applicant.

(2) A respondent’s appearance shall be in the form numbered 63 in the First Schedule.

Summary of argument—applicant

6.(1) The applicant shall, within 28 days after filing an application, file and serve a summary of argument and a draft notice of appeal on any party who has filed a notice of appearance.

(2)The applicant’s summary of argument shall be in the form numbered 62 in the First Schedule.

 “(3)The applicant’s draft notice of appeal shall be in the form numbered 65 in the First Schedule.

Summary of argument—respondent

7.(1) A respondent shall, within 21 days after service of the applicant’s summary of argument, file and serve a summary of argument.

(2)A respondent’s summary of argument shall be in the form numbered 62A in the First Schedule and shall state concisely the points in issue between the applicant and the respondent.

Summary of argument—general

 “8.(1) A summary of argument shall not exceed 10 pages in length, and shall be signed by a legal practitioner on behalf of the applicant or the respondent or, in the case of an unrepresented party, by the party personally.

(2) If it is proposed that the party will appear and present oral argument, the summary of argument shall so state.

(3)A supplementary summary of argument may be filed only with the leave of the Court or a Justice or the Registrar.

Reply

9.(1) An applicant may, within 7 days of service of a respondent’s summary of argument, file and serve a reply.

(2)A reply shall not exceed 5 pages in length, and shall be signed by a legal practitioner on behalf of the applicant or, in the case of an unrepresented applicant, by the applicant personally.

Application book

 “10.(1) For the purpose of an application, there shall be an application book.

(2)The contents of the application book shall be in accordance with an index settled by the Registrar after consultation with the parties.

(3)The index shall list such documents as will enable the Court to determine the application. 

 “(4) The pages of the documents will be numbered consecutively and, in the case of any documents referred to by original page numbers in the summaries of argument, shall also bear those page numbers.

(5)The Registrar shall furnish a copy of the index to each party to the application.

(6) A copy of an index may be sent by post or by facsimile transmission.

(7)Unless the contrary be shown, the time at which the index so posted would be delivered in the ordinary course of post shall be deemed to be the time of receipt of the index or, if the index was transmitted by facsimile, the time of transmission shall be deemed to be the time of receipt of the index.

(8)The applicant shall prepare an application book in the like manner and form as is required in the case of an appeal book in rule 12 of Order 70.

(9)Within 30 days after the receipt of the index, or such other time as a Justice or the Registrar may order or direct, the applicant shall:

(a) prepare and file 7 copies of the application book; and

(b) supply 3 copies of the application book to each respondent.

 “(10) If, on the hearing of an application, a party intends to refer to a document which is not included in the application book, that party shall give notice to each other party not less than 3 working days before the date fixed for the hearing.

Time limitation on oral argument

 “11.(1) If an application is listed for hearing, a party who is present at the hearing, or a legal practitioner on behalf of a party, may appear and, subject to the next succeeding subrule, present oral argument.

(2) The time allocated to the parties for oral argument on the hearing of an application shall be as the Court orders or, in default of any order, shall be as follows:

(a) applicant—20 minutes;

(b) respondent—20 minutes;

(c) applicant in reply—5 minutes;

provided that the Court may extend the time allocated to either party as the Court thinks fit.

Discontinuance of application

12.(1) An applicant may discontinue an application by filing a notice of discontinuance in the form numbered 64 in the First Schedule and by serving the notice on the respondent.

(2)Unless the Court or a Justice has otherwise ordered, an applicant who discontinues an application shall pay the respondent’s costs, in respect of the application, and such costs shall be taxed, unless agreed.

(3)Production of the notice of discontinuance initialled by the Registrar shall be sufficient authority for the taxation of costs.

(4)Subrules (2) and (3) apply only to applications for leave or special leave to appeal in civil matters in which there is no statutory prohibition against, or limitation of, an award of costs in favour of the respondent.

Deemed abandonment of application by delay

13.(1)Where an applicant fails to comply with subrules 4 (1), 4 (2), 6 (1) or 10 (9) within six months after filing the application, the application shall be deemed to be abandoned, unless the Court or a Justice or Registrar has otherwise ordered or directed.

(2)On a request by the respondent, a certificate of deemed abandonment shall be provided by the Registrar and thereupon subrules 12 (2), (3) and (4), with the necessary adaptation, shall apply.

Directions by Registrar

 “14.(1)At any time, after the filing of an application, the Registrar may give directions as to any matter which appears to the Registrar to be a convenient matter upon which to give directions.

(2) The directions referred to in subrule (1) may be given without a hearing provided that the Registrar may, at any time, issue a summons requiring the parties to an application to attend before the Registrar, and any party to an application may apply, at any time, for an appointment with the Registrar.

Determination of application on written material

15.(1) A party may, in his or her summary of argument, elect not to present oral argument.

(2)Where an application is listed for hearing and it appears to the Court or a Justice that a party is likely to be unable, or that it is likely to be impracticable for a party, to appear personally or by a legal representative to present oral argument, the Court may direct that the party’s case be considered on the basis of his or her summary of argument and any reply without oral argument from that party.

(3) Nothing in subrule (2) prevents any other party from presenting oral argument.”.

4.First Schedule

4.1 Forms 61, 62 and 63:

Omit the Forms, substitute:

FORM 61

 O. 69A, r. 2 (1)

 

IN THE HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

[SYDNEY] OFFICE OF THE REGISTRY

  

No. [S]

 of 19

  

BETWEEN: AB

 

 Applicant

 

 and

 

 XY

 

  Respondent

 

APPLICATION FOR LEAVE OR SPECIAL LEAVE TO APPEAL

 

1. The Applicant applies for leave [or special leave] to appeal from [specify part or whole] of the judgment of [specify Court, Justice or Judge below] given on [specify date].

 

Grounds

 

2. [Specify briefly the grounds on which the judgment below is said to be wrong].

 

Order(s) sought

 

3. [Specify the judgment sought in lieu of that challenged including any special order as to costs].

 

Dated the

 day of 19 .

 ....................................................................

[Signed, Solicitor or Applicant if unrepresented]

   

To:

  The Respondent [address]

 

TAKE NOTICE:  Before taking any step in the proceedings you must, within 14 DAYS after service of this application, enter an appearance in the office of the Registry in which the application is filed, and serve a copy on the applicant.

 

THE APPLICANT’S SOLICITOR IS:

 [name of firm and address for service, telephone and facsimile numbers]

 

OR

 

THE APPLICANT’S ADDRESS FOR SERVICE IS:

[if the applicant is unrepresented - address for service, telephone and facsimile numbers]

 

_____________

 

FORM 62

 O. 69A, r. 6 (2)

(Heading as in Form 61)

APPLICANT’S SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

 

Part I: [A concise statement of the leave or special leave questions said to arise].

 

Part II: [A brief statement of the factual background to the application].

 

Part III: [A brief statement of the applicant’s argument].

 

Part IV: [Reasons why leave or special leave should be granted].

 

Part V: [Any reasons why an order for costs should not be made in favour of the respondent in the event that the application is refused].

 

Part VI: [A table of the authorities, legislation or other material on which the applicant relies, identifying the pages at which the relevant passages appear].

 

Part VII: [Indicate whether the applicant seeks to supplement this summary with oral argument].

 

Dated the

 day of 19 .

 

                                      ..................................................................

 (Signed, Practitioner or Applicant if unrepresented)

_____________

FORM 62A

 O. 69A, r. 7 (2)

(Heading as in Form 61)

 

RESPONDENT’S SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT

 

Part I: [Reasons why leave or special leave should/should not be granted].

 

Part II: [A brief statement of the factual issues in contention].

 

Part III: [A brief statement of the respondent’s argument].

 

Part IV: [Any special order as to costs sought by the respondent].

 

Part V: [A table of the authorities, legislation or other material on which the respondent relies, identifying the pages at which the relevant passages appear].

 

Part VI: [Indicate whether the respondent seeks to supplement this summary with oral argument].

 

Dated the

 day of 19 .

 ....................................................................

(Signed, Practitioner or Respondent if unrepresented)

 

_____________

 

FORM 63

 O. 69A, r. 5 (2)

(Heading as in Form 61)

 

APPEARANCE

 

Enter an appearance for the respondent in this application.

  

Dated the

 day of 19 .

 ....................................................................

(Signed, Practitioner or Respondent if unrepresented)

 

To:

  The Applicant (address)

 

THE RESPONDENT’S SOLICITOR IS:

 [name of firm and address for service, telephone and facsimile numbers]

 

_____________

4.2   Form 64:

Omit “O. 69A, r. 10 (1)”, substitute “O. 69A, r. 12 (1)”.

 

____________________________________________________________

NOTES

1. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 29 November 1996.

2. Statutory Rules 1952 No. 23 as amended by 1953 Nos. 1 and 46; 1954 No. 102; 1955 Nos. 25 and 34; 1959 No. 107; 1960 Nos. 19 and 94; 1961 Nos. 19 and 89; 1968 No. 4; 1970 No. 17; 1973 Nos. 94 and 205; 1976 No. 44; 1977 No. 41; 1978 Nos. 10 and 46; 1980 Nos. 88 and 296; 1981 No. 24; 1982 Nos. 77, 164, 216 and 262; 1983 Nos. 257 and 263; 1984 No. 406; 1985 No. 387; 1986 Nos. 22, 290, 305 and 383; 1987 Nos. 46, 179 and 302; 1988 Nos. 218 and 230; 1989 Nos. 27 and 132; 1990 No. 349; 1991 Nos. 318 and 473; 1992 Nos. 40 and 85; 1993 Nos. 32 and 324; 1994 Nos. 1 and 144; 1995 Nos. 45 and 108.

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