Parker v Churchill

The applicants sought to set aside the decisions of two Justices of the Peace to issue a number of search warrants and to set aside the decisions of the police officers to seize documents. The warrants were issued under the Crimes Act 1914 and were in similar form. The applicants argued that the warrants were invalid on various grounds including that they did not disclose offences known to the law, that there was no sufficient information on oath before the respondents at the time they issued the warrants, and that the officers could not reasonably have been satisfied that the documents seized fell within the warrants. The court found that the warrants were valid and that the officers acted reasonably in seizing the documents. The court refused the orders sought to set aside the decisions of the Justices of the Peace and the warrants issued by them. The court also refused the orders sought in respect of the decisions of the police officers to seize documents, but reserved to the applicants liberty to apply for orders in respect of particular documents upon seven days notice to the third respondent. The applicants were ordered to pay the costs of the third respondent and the costs, as of submitting parties, of the first and second respondents.