Rabson v Judicial Conduct Commissioner

Case

[2017] NZSC 74

16 May 2017


IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NEW ZEALAND
SC 21/2017
[2017] NZSC 74
BETWEEN

MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON
Applicant

AND

JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSIONER
First Respondent

JUSTICES ELIAS, YOUNG, GLAZEBROOK, ARNOLD AND OʼREGAN
Second Respondents

Court:

Elias CJ, William Young and Ellen France JJ

Counsel:

Applicant in person
C P A Cross for First Respondent
H M Carrad for Second Respondents

Judgment:

16 May 2017

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

____________________________________________________________________

REASONS

  1. The applicant seeks leave to appeal from a decision of Brown J in the Court of Appeal dismissing applications (a) for review of the decision of a Deputy Registrar declining to dispense with security for costs and (b) to extend time for the filing of the application for dispensation.[1]  The underlying appeal was against a minute of Williams J striking out the second respondents as parties to proceedings to judicially review a decision of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner.[2]  The substantive judicial review application has since been dismissed.[3]

    [1]Rabson v Judicial Conduct Commissioner [2017] NZCA 44 [Rabson (CA)].

    [2]Rabson v Judicial Conduct Commissioner HC Wellington CIV-2016-485-781, 1 November 2016.

    [3]Rabson v Judicial Conduct Commissioner [2016] NZHC 3162.

  2. The background to the applications dismissed by Brown J is outlined in his judgment.[4]  He saw the underlying appeal as not being reasonably arguable.[5]  He was also satisfied that a reasonable and solvent litigant would not pursue the appeal.[6]  In dismissing the applications, he applied well-established principles. 

    [4]Rabson (CA), above n 1, at [1]–[6].

    [5]At [10].

    [6]At [11].`

  3. The proposed appeal does not raise any question of public or general importance and there is no appearance of a miscarriage of justice.  The criteria for leave thus not being satisfied, the application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

Solicitors:
Meredith Connell, Wellington for First Respondent
Crown Law Office, Wellington for Second Respondents


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Cases Citing This Decision

3

Rabson v Young [2017] NZSC 146
Cases Cited

2

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