Valuers Registration Board of Queensland v Conroy

The appeal before the Court involved the Valuers Registration Board of Queensland and Conroy. Conroy faced disciplinary proceedings initiated by the Board, which ultimately found in the Board’s favour. The Board sought professional costs incurred during the tribunal proceedings, as permitted by the enabling Act, which allows for costs orders to be made. The tribunal, however, declined the Board's application for costs, prompting the Board to appeal this decision. The central legal issue was whether the absence of an order for representation justified the refusal of costs and whether a hearing on papers precluded the Board’s application for costs. The Court held that the tribunal erred in law by refusing the application for costs without proper justification. The tribunal's decision to hear the matter on papers did not preclude the Board from applying for costs. Consequently, the Court allowed the appeal and ordered Conroy to pay $8,000 to the Board for its professional costs in the tribunal proceedings.