Sarah v The Public Guardian

In the matter of Sarah v The Public Guardian, Sarah sought an urgent application to revoke guardianship and financial management orders made by the Public Guardian. The orders, which were made in 2017, placed Sarah under the guardianship of the Public Guardian due to her diminished mental capacity. The application was heard in the Supreme Court of Queensland. The Public Guardian opposed the application, arguing that it should not be granted given the pending review and appeal of the original orders scheduled for April and May 2019.

The court considered whether the circumstances warranted the revocation of the orders prior to the review and appeal being heard. The court had to balance Sarah’s need for urgent intervention against the established procedures for reviewing and appealing guardianship and financial management orders. The court also needed to decide whether to make any orders regarding suppression or non-publication of information from the proceedings.

The court found that the circumstances did not warrant the revocation of the existing orders as the review and appeal process was already in motion. The court held that it was not appropriate to disrupt the established procedures by revoking the orders before the review and appeal had taken place. The court also made orders that certain information from the proceedings be suppressed or non-published to protect Sarah’s privacy and dignity. The court's decision emphasised the importance of adhering to established legal processes while also ensuring the protection of vulnerable individuals.