APPELLATE JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA
38 As set out below, the Court has jurisdiction to hear this appeal.
39 The two sentences under appeal were imposed by a Judge of the County Court of Victoria under s 132AJ(2) of the Copyright Act and under s 148(1) of the Trade Marks Act, respectively. As explained below, the Court has jurisdiction to hear the appeal in respect of Charge 1 in exercise of a direct statutory conferral of appellate jurisdiction, whilst its jurisdiction to hear the appeal in respect of Charge 2 is in exercise of the statutory conferral of jurisdiction in associated matters.
40 Section 132AJ of the Copyright Act is found in Part V of that Act, headed "Remedies and offences". Section 131B(2)(a) of the Copyright Act expressly provides that an appeal lies from a decision of a court of a State or Territory under Part V to this Court. A "decision" in s 131B(2) includes a sentence: see further Lai-Ha v McCusker (2000) 101 FCR 460 at 462 [6]-[9].
41 The Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) (Federal Court Act) also provides for the Court's appellate jurisdiction in criminal matters. This jurisdiction is no longer to be found in Division 2 of Part III of the Federal Court Act (which includes s 24 upon which earlier authorities relied: see, for example, Le v R (2007) 74 IPR 1 (Le v R) at 4 [9]). This is made clear by s 23P, which was introduced by the Federal Court of Australia Amendment (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 2009 (Cth) (2009 Amending Act). The 2009 Amending Act was part of a legislative package that was designed to confer indictable criminal jurisdiction on the Court with respect to serious cartel offences (as to which, see ss 44ZZRF and 44ZZRG of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)). As will be seen, however, the 2009 Amending Act also made consequential changes to the existing, though limited, criminal appellate jurisdiction of the Court. Section 23P provides that Division 2 of Part III "applies to the Court's appellate jurisdiction in relation to civil matters". The 2009 Amending Act introduced a new Division 2A, headed "Appellate and related jurisdiction (criminal proceedings)" to govern criminal appeals. The Explanatory Memorandum for the Federal Court of Australia Amendment (Criminal Jurisdiction) Bill 2008, which became the 2009 Amending Act, confirms that Division 2 of Part III was intended to apply only to civil appeals, whilst Division 2A was intended to govern criminal appeals. The Explanatory Memorandum for the 2009 Amending Act stated (at paragraph [315]):
The Federal Court Act is amended under items 58 and 59 to limit Division 2 of the Act so that it only applies to appeals in civil proceedings. The Court had some limited powers to hear appeals in criminal proceedings under Division 2. Those powers have been moved to Division 2A which will contain all the provisions dealing with appeals in criminal cases.
42 It is sufficient to note here that item 58 related to the new s 23P. In relation to this provision, the Explanatory Memorandum further stated:
Item 58 Before section 24
619. This amendment adds a new section to Division 2 of Part III to provide that the Division only applies to the Court's appellate jurisdiction in relation to civil matters.
43 Subdivision A of Division 2A concerns the bringing of criminal appeals. Section 30AA, which begins Subdivision A in Division 2A, sets out the circumstances in which the Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine an appeal "about" an indictable offence. Section 30AA relevantly provides:
Appeals about indictable offences
(1) The Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine an appeal from a judgment of an eligible primary court to the extent the judgment:
(a) convicts the accused of a count in an indictment; or
(b) sentences the accused in relation to a count in an indictment; or
(c) acquits the accused of a count in an indictment as a result of the court (rather than a jury) finding that the accused had no case to answer; or
(d) acquits the accused because of mental illness in relation to a count in an indictment; or
(e) in the case of a judgment of the Court constituted by a single Judge - consists of one or more orders, determinations or findings under Division 6 or 9 of Part IB of the Crimes Act 1914.
….
Relationship to other Acts
(5) This section has effect subject to any other Act, whether passed before or after the commencement of this Act (including an Act by virtue of which any judgments referred to in this section are made final and conclusive or not subject to appeal).
44 Section 4 of the Federal Court Act states that:
eligible primary court means:
(a) the Court constituted by a single Judge in indictable primary proceedings; or
(b) the Supreme Court of a Territory (other than the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory); or
(c) in such cases as are provided by any other Act, a court (other than a Full Court of the Supreme Court) of a State, the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory, exercising federal jurisdiction.
45 Section 30AA(1)(b) purports to confer jurisdiction on the Court to hear and determine a sentencing appeal in respect of an indictable offence from a judgment of an eligible primary court. As we have seen, s 131B(2)(a) of the Copyright Act provides for an appeal to this Court from a sentence imposed by the County Court of Victoria for an offence in breach of s 132AJ(1). On its proper construction, this is a case for which provision is made by "any other Act" within the meaning of paragraph (c) of the definition of "eligible primary court".
46 We reach this conclusion, notwithstanding that the Explanatory Memorandum to the 2009 Amending Act stated (at paragraph [316]) that the term "eligible primary court" "includes a court nominated in another Act (other than a Full Court of a Supreme Court)" and that "[t]here are no such nominations at this time". The significance of this latter comment is not entirely clear; and it may simply have been stating that no "nominations" had been made within the legislative package of which the 2009 Amending Act was a part. Be that as it may, we would not give the comment any great weight. As the High Court said in FCT v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (2012) 250 CLR 503 at 519 [39], "[l]egislative history and extrinsic materials cannot displace the meaning of the statutory text". It was clearly not the legislative intention to deprive the Court of its existing limited criminal appellate jurisdiction, as is evident from the text of the 2009 Amending Act, the Explanatory Memorandum to the 2009 Amending Act, and the Attorney-General's Second Reading Speech (cited at paragraph [59] below). Rather, the legislative intention was that criminal appellate jurisdiction should henceforth be governed by Division 2A, not Division 2, of Part III of the Federal Court Act. The ordinary meaning of the text of s 30AA achieves this outcome and the provision should not be construed so as to defeat this legislative purpose.
47 Accordingly, pursuant to s 131B(2)(a) of the Copyright Act and s 30AA(1)(b) of the Federal Court Act, this Court has jurisdiction to hear the appeal from the sentence imposed in respect of Charge 1.
48 The Trade Marks Act does not confer jurisdiction on this Court to hear an appeal against a sentence imposed under s 148 of that Act by the County Court of Victoria, because the County Court is not a prescribed court as set out in s 190 and this proceeding is not a civil action for a trade mark infringement under Part 12, as identified in s 195(1): see Trade Marks Act, ss 190 and 195. Nonetheless, we consider that this Court has jurisdiction to hear the appeal from the sentence imposed in respect of Charge 2, being a sentence imposed under s 148(1) of the Trade Marks Act, as part of the Court's jurisdiction in associated matters, conferred by s 32 of the Federal Court Act.
49 Section 32 of the Federal Court Act now provides as follows:
Jurisdiction in associated matters
Associated matters - civil proceedings
(1) To the extent that the Constitution permits, jurisdiction is conferred on the Court in respect of matters not otherwise within its jurisdiction that are associated with matters (the core matters) in which the jurisdiction of the Court is invoked.
(2) The jurisdiction conferred by subsection (1) extends to jurisdiction to hear and determine an appeal from a judgment of a court so far as it relates to a matter that is associated with a matter (the core matter) in respect of which an appeal from that judgment, or another judgment of that court, is brought.
(3) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply in relation to a core matter that is an indictable offence matter.
Associated matters - indictable offences
(4) To the extent that the Constitution permits, jurisdiction is conferred on the Court in respect of matters (the related matters) that:
(a) arise under any laws made by the Parliament; and
(b) are not otherwise within the Court's jurisdiction; and
(c) relate to one or more indictable offences;
that are associated with an indictable offence matter in which the jurisdiction of the Court is invoked.
(5) The jurisdiction conferred by subsection (4) extends to jurisdiction to hear and determine an appeal from a judgment of a court so far as it relates to a related matter that is associated with an indictable offence matter in respect of which an appeal from that judgment, or another judgment of that court, is brought.
(6) For the purposes of this Act, a matter is an indictable offence matter if a proceeding in relation to the matter would be an indictable primary proceeding.
50 In Le v R at 4-5 [7]-[13], which also involved an appeal against sentences imposed under the Copyright Act and the Trade Marks Act, Edmonds J held that the Federal Court not only had jurisdiction under s 131B(2)(a) of the Copyright Act with respect to an appeal against sentence under that Act, but also had associated jurisdiction under ss 32(1) and (2) of the Federal Court Act with respect to an appeal against sentence under the Trade Marks Act because the court's appellate jurisdiction had been invoked in the related Copyright Act appeal. For the reasons that follow, we consider that this remains the correct approach.
51 We note that in the earlier decision of Bell v Queensland (2006) 71 IPR 139 at 139-140 [2], which concerned an appeal against sentence for breaches of s 132 of the Copyright Act, Kiefel J expressed the view, obiter dictum and without the issue being argued, that the Court would not have had jurisdiction to hear an appeal against other penalties imposed under the Trade Marks Act by the Magistrates Court of Queensland. It must also be borne in mind, however, that the only matter before her Honour was an appeal against sentence for those Copyright Act breaches; that her Honour did not elucidate the basis for her opinion; and that her Honour did not refer to s 32 of the Federal Court Act.
52 The amendments made to the Federal Court Act by the 2009 Amending Act, which were made after Le v R, introduced ss 32(3)-(6) and the current subheadings. At first glance, these new provisions might be thought to have relevantly altered the analysis that should be made of the Court's associated jurisdiction in cases such as the present appeal.
53 Closer examination shows, however, that ss 32(3)-(5) are inapplicable here. This is because an appeal against a sentence imposed under the Copyright Act, which is the core matter for s 32 purposes, is not an "indictable offence matter" and these provisions only apply where the core matter is an "indictable offence matter".
54 An "indictable offence matter" is defined in s 32(6) as such a matter "if a proceeding in relation to the matter would be an indictable primary proceeding". Section 4 of the Federal Court Act provides that the expression "indictable primary proceedings" has the meaning given by s 23AB(2).
55 Section 23AB concerns the application of Division 1A of Part 111 of the Federal Court Act. Division 1A is headed "Original jurisdiction (indictable offences)". Section 23AB(2) provides:
This Division applies in relation to the following proceedings (the indictable primary proceedings):
(a) proceedings in the Court that are commenced by, or that include, an event mentioned in subsection (1);
(b) proceedings in the Court for sentencing the accused if the Court, in proceedings covered by paragraph (a), has accepted a plea of guilty, or a verdict of guilty, for a count in the indictment in relation to the accused;
(c) proceedings in the Court that are ancillary to proceedings covered by paragraph (a) or (b).
56 Section 23AB(1), to which s 23AB(2) refers, relevantly provides:
This Division applies in relation to a person (the accused) if any of the following events happen:
(a) either the accused, the prosecutor or both appear before the Court in accordance with an order committing the accused for trial on indictment, or sentencing, before the Court for an indictable offence;
(b) the prosecutor files in the Court an indictment against the accused for an indictable offence (whether or not the accused has been examined and committed for trial on indictment);
…
"Court" is defined in s 4 of the Federal Court Act to mean the Federal Court.
57 To understand these provisions better, it is also necessary to note s 23AB(4), which states:
Offences to which this Division applies
(4) A reference in this Division to an offence is a reference to any of the following:
(a) an offence against either of the following sections of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010:
(i) section 44ZZRF (making a contract etc. containing a cartel provision);
(ii) section 44ZZRG (giving effect to a cartel provision);
(b) if jurisdiction is conferred on the Court under subsection 32(4) in respect of a matter - an indictable offence to which the matter relates.
Note: Paragraph (b) covers any Commonwealth indictable offence associated with a particular prosecution of a cartel offence mentioned in paragraph (a).
58 None of ss 32(3)-(5) of the Federal Court Act apply to the appeal so far as it is an appeal against sentence imposed under the Trade Marks Act and s 32(3) does not preclude the application of ss 32(1) and 32(2). This is because the appeal against the sentence imposed under the Copyright Act is not "an indictable offence matter". This is because a proceeding in relation to that matter would not be an indictable primary proceeding because it does not fall within s 23AB(2), since it was not commenced by, and did not include, an event described in s 23AB(1). No event of the kind mentioned in ss 23AB(1)(a) or (b) occurred in this Court.
59 This conclusion is consistent with the note to s 23AB(4) and with the Explanatory Memorandum for the 2009 Amending Act. The Explanatory Memorandum stated that, as already indicated, the purpose of the 2009 Amending Act was to provide a "procedural framework" for the Federal Court to exercise indictable criminal jurisdiction over serious cartel matters. See also the Second Reading Speech of the then Attorney-General, Mr Robert McClelland, in Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 3 December 2008, 12294-5.
60 Save for the subheading "Associated matters - civil proceedings" and the definitional expression "(the core matter)", which were inserted by the 2009 Amending Act, ss 32(1) and (2) have not been amended since the Federal Court Act was first enacted. In the Second Reading Speech, for the Federal Court of Australia Bill 1976, the then Attorney-General, Mr Robert Ellicott, described the purpose of the proposed "associated jurisdiction" provision in the following terms:
Clause 32 of the Bill would confer on the new Court, so far as the Constitution permits, jurisdiction in matters that are associated with matters of federal jurisdiction before the Court. The intention is to confer jurisdiction on the Court in matters which, if they arose in isolation, might not be matters of federal jurisdiction but which, arising in association with a matter of federal jurisdiction, must be disposed of at the same time as that matter in order that the rights of the parties may be finally determined.
See Commonwealth, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 21 October 1976, 3.
61 In PCS Operations Pty Ltd v Maritime Union of Australia (1998) 155 ALR 520 at 523 [6], Gaudron J observed:
In Philip Morris Inc v Adam P Brown Male Fashions Pty Ltd [(1981) 148 CLR 457 at 476] Barwick CJ expressed the view that "the word 'associated' [in s 32] embraces matters which may be disparate from each other, a view which is implicit in other judgments in that case.
(Citation added; original citations omitted)
62 As her Honour subsequently said (at 524-5 [10]-[13]) after citing the majority judgment in Fencott v Muller (1983) 152 CLR 570 at 608, the question whether a federal matter is associated with another federal matter for the purposes of s 32(1) of the Federal Court Act is primarily a question of "practical judgment".
63 The sentences imposed under the Copyright Act and under the Trade Marks Act arise out of the same circumstances and the sentencing judge imposed them concurrently. The parties rightly accepted that it was practically desirable that the appeals in respect of Charge 1 and Charge 2 be heard together. The matter of the appeal against the sentence imposed under the Trade Marks Act is clearly, in our view, associated with the matter of the appeal against the sentence imposed under the Copyright Act in which the jurisdiction of the Court has been invoked; and, accordingly, ss 32(1) and (2) of the Federal Court Act operate to confer jurisdiction on the Court to hear and determine the sentence imposed under the Trade Marks Act.
64 We consider that this construction of ss 32(1) and (2) best promotes the statutory purpose of these provisions.
65 There is only one factor that militates against the application of these provisions in the present case. This is the subheading introduced by the 2009 Amending Act, which refers only to "civil proceedings"; and which might be thought to signify that ss 32(1) and (2) were not intended to apply to a criminal appeal. There is, however, no indication in the text of s 32 or in the extrinsic material to which we were referred (the Explanatory Memorandum for the 2009 Amending Act and the Attorney-General's Second Reading Speech) that there was any legislative intention to curtail the existing operation of ss 32(1) and (2). As we have previously noted, the purpose of the 2009 Amending Act was to provide a procedural framework for this Court to hear and determine serious cartel offences. Section 32(3) indicates that the legislature intended to limit the application of ss 32(1) and (2) only as specifically provided in s 32(3) - which as discussed above does not apply to this appeal.
66 It should, moreover, be borne in mind that s 13(2)(d) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) provides only that a heading to "a Chapter, Part, Division or Subdivision appearing before the first section of the Act" is part of an Act and would not apply to the subheading appearing before ss 32(1) and (2). At the same time, s 13(1), which provides that "all material from and including the first section of an Act to the end …" is part of the Act, would cover the subheading to these sections. We therefore recognise that the subheading tends against the conclusion that ss 32(1) and (2) operate with respect to a criminal appeal, but we do not consider that this factor should prevail over the ordinary meaning and previously accepted operation of the text of these provisions, and the consideration to which we have already referred, namely, that the 2009 Amending Act was not intended to curtail the operation of ss 32(1) and (2) other than as stated in s 32(3).
67 Furthermore, the mode in which the amendments to ss 32(1) and (2) were made tends to confirm that there was no legislative intention to limit the operation of these provisions other than as set out in s 32(3). That is, the 2009 Amending Act introduced the new subheading "Associated matters - civil proceedings" only by way of a note to a clause introducing the definition "(the core matters)" to s 32(1). Thus, clauses 70 and 71 to Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the 2009 Amending Act read as follows:
70 Subsection 32(1)
After "with matters", insert "(the core matters)".
Note: The following heading to subsection 32(1) is inserted "Associated matters - civil
proceedings".
71 Subsection 32(2)
After "matter" (second occurring), insert "(the core matter)".
68 All amendments to ss 32(1) and (2) were, moreover, made in Part 2 of the Schedule to the 2009 Amending Act, being that Part entitled "Consequential and other amendments". Part 1 to that Schedule was, in contrast, called "Main Amendments". The legislature cannot have intended to effect a significant limitation on the operation of ss 32(1) and (2) by an amendment listed in that Part of the Schedule of amendments dealing with merely "consequential" amendments to the Federal Court Act.
69 For these reasons, we do not consider that the insertion of a new subheading was intended to have any effect on the operation of ss 32(1) and (2), other than as set out in s 32(3). The subheading expressed no more than an understanding that these provisions would most commonly operate with respect to civil proceedings, bearing in mind that the Federal Court was and remains a Court mostly concerned with civil matters, and that the purpose of the 2009 Act was to introduce a framework for the Court to hear a specific kind of criminal offence.
70 We would, for these reasons, conclude that the Court has jurisdiction to hear and determine this appeal in so far as it relates to the sentence imposed not only under the Copyright Act but also imposed under the Trade Marks Act.
71 As a result of the amendments to the Federal Court Act effected by the 2009 Amending Act, the appeal gave rise to the further issue as to whether or not leave to appeal was required pursuant to s 30AB(1) of the Federal Court Act. Section 30AB(1) provides that:
An appeal under section 30AA cannot be brought from a judgment referred to in subsection 30AA(1) or (2) unless:
(a) the Court or a Judge gives leave to appeal; or
(b) the appeal involves a question of law alone.
72 We have already stated that in our view this was an appeal under s 30AA(1)(b) in so far as it concerned an appeal against sentence imposed under s 132AJ(1) of the Copyright Act. The appeal did not involve a question of law alone. We therefore conclude that it is necessary for this Court to grant leave, which as indicated already, we would do.