Webster v Deahm

In the High Court of Australia, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, the petitioner, Alasdair Paine Webster, brought a petition against the first respondent, Maggie Deahm, and the second respondent, the Electoral Commission. The proceedings concerned various allegations made by the petitioner regarding electoral irregularities.

The court was required to determine the status of several allegations within the petition, specifically the thirteenth and fifteenth allegations, and to consider the petitioner's compliance with court orders concerning the provision of particulars for the sixth, ninth, and tenth allegations. The court also had to address the petitioner's application for relief from compliance with section 355(aa) of the relevant legislation in relation to the ninth and tenth allegations, which concerned persons allegedly voting who were not entitled to do so.

The court noted that the petitioner had made no further submissions regarding the thirteenth and fifteenth allegations, effectively conceding those points. Regarding the sixth allegation, described as the "multiple voting allegation," the petitioner had provided the required particulars of the ballot papers involved, thereby complying with the court's order. For the ninth and tenth allegations, the petitioner sought relief from compliance with section 355(aa) and had, just prior to the hearing, provided particulars to the respondents and the court, which included lists of names and addresses relevant to the allegations.