Jarrett v Seymour & Ors; Camm & Ors v Seymour & Ors; Elliott v Seymour

The applicants, Jarrett, Camm, Scanlon, and Elliott, sought a stay of proceedings from the High Court of Australia. The dispute concerned applications for a stay to prevent criminal charges from being laid against the applicants. The respondents included Sergeant Douglas Seymour, the National Crime Authority, and the Director of Public Prosecutions (Victoria).

The primary legal issue before the High Court was whether to grant a stay of proceedings. This was to ensure that any subsequent application for special leave to appeal to the High Court would not be rendered purposeless. The applicants contended that if a stay were not granted, criminal charges would be laid, thereby frustrating the purpose of a potential successful special leave application.

The Court was required to consider the applicants' submissions that the purpose of the proceedings was substantially to prevent the laying of charges. The applicants argued that without an interim injunction, their ability to pursue a special leave application would be nullified if charges were laid in the interim. The Court noted that the second respondent, Mr. Sherman, had been sued personally in his role as Chairperson of the National Crime Authority, but this was not considered an impediment to the proceedings by the applicants.