Rahme & Anor v Commonwealth Bank of Australia

The parties before the High Court of Australia were Antoine Maroun Rahme and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The matter concerned an application for a stay.

The primary legal issue before the Court was whether to grant an adjournment of the proceedings due to the late arrival of counsel for the applicants. Counsel for the applicants had missed a flight from Sydney and was travelling to Canberra by car.

The Court acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the delay but ultimately acceded to the request for an adjournment. His Honour noted that the Court could not operate on the assumption that flights would not be delayed or cancelled, and that it was the responsibility of legal practitioners to ensure their attendance. However, given the circumstances, the matter was stood down in the list until counsel for the applicants arrived.

The matter was adjourned until later the same day, and upon resuming at 2:00 PM, counsel for the applicants appeared and reiterated his apologies for the lateness.