Pallister v The Queen

The case of Pallister v The Queen involved the applicant, Stephen Gray Pallister, applying for bail under the provisions of the Bail Act 1982. The application was heard by White AUJ in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, with the matter previously being dismissed by other courts. Pallister had been in custody since 14 February 2001 and faced four indictments, one of which had resulted in a conviction and sentencing to a two-year intensive supervision order. The applicant denied the remaining charges, which included aggravated burglary, unlawful wounding, threats to kill, deprivation of liberty, and possession with intent to sell or supply various illicit substances.

The legal issues before the court involved whether new circumstances had arisen or the circumstances had changed since the jurisdiction was invoked, and if there were exceptional reasons why the applicant should not be kept in custody. The applicant argued that changes in his personal circumstances, such as the return of his family to Perth and a job offer, warranted a reconsideration of his bail application. The Crown opposed the application, arguing that there were no exceptional reasons to grant bail.

The court found that the changes in Pallister's circumstances were sufficient to warrant reconsideration of the bail application, but ultimately determined that none of the applicant's submissions constituted exceptional reasons for granting bail. The court concluded that the risk of Pallister interfering with the complainant remained, and thus dismissed the application for bail.

The final orders of the court were that the application for bail was dismissed.