West v Hancock; West v Forbes Shire Council & Ors; West v M S Thompson Holdings Pty Ltd & Ors; West v Commissioner of Police

The proceedings before the High Court of Australia involved applications for special leave to appeal in four separate matters, all initiated by Mr R.S. West. The respondents included the Commissioner of Police (State of NSW), Forbes Shire Council, various private companies and individuals, and Sheriffs Officers. The core dispute, as articulated by Mr West, concerned an action taken by a repairer who had him charged with stealing his own vehicle in 1977, based on a purported lien that Mr West contended was invalid. This led to legal action involving Consumer Affairs and a firm of solicitors, ultimately resulting in a court ruling of "no jurisdiction" due to the matter being in the hands of Consumer Affairs.

The primary legal issue before the High Court was whether special leave to appeal should be granted to Mr West in these matters. Mr West sought to appeal decisions that he contended were based on a repealed Act, the Summary Offences Act. He argued that the initial charge of stealing his own vehicle was wrongful, stemming from a repairer's unfounded claim of a lien. The court was therefore required to consider the merits of Mr West's applications for special leave, which encompassed arguments regarding the validity of the original proceedings and the subsequent jurisdictional rulings.

The Chief Justice, Mason CJ, clarified that the High Court was not hearing appeals but rather applications for special leave to appeal. Mr West was required to present a brief explanation as to why special leave should be granted. His submissions focused on the historical context of the dispute, highlighting the charge of stealing his own vehicle in 1977, the alleged invalid lien, and the subsequent involvement of Consumer Affairs and legal firms. The court was presented with an index of documents to assist in understanding the applications.