Saade v Registrar-General

This matter concerned an application for special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia by Mrs N. Saade (who preferred to be known as Mrs Hilman) against the Registrar-General. Mrs Hilman appeared in person, unrepresented, and expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to address the Court, acknowledging her lack of legal expertise and emotional distress. She indicated that her case had been ongoing for 16 years, involving numerous court hearings and appeals, and that her solicitors had withdrawn due to her inability to fund their continued representation.

The central legal issue before the High Court was whether to grant Mrs Hilman special leave to appeal. This required the Court to consider whether her case raised a question of law of public importance or was otherwise in the interests of the administration of justice to grant leave. Mrs Hilman's submissions, though not framed in formal legal terms, highlighted her belief in significant mismanagement of her case over many years, suggesting a need for the Law Society to investigate.

The Court, in this transcript, was hearing an application for special leave. Mrs Hilman, appearing unrepresented and in an emotional state, explained her prolonged struggle with the legal system, the withdrawal of her solicitors due to financial constraints, and her inability to access her case files. She pleaded for assistance and requested that the Law Society investigate the perceived mismanagement of her case, which she believed had contributed to its protracted duration and her personal suffering.