[2025] WASC 310
General information, not legal advice.
Supreme Court of WA
2025-08-06
McGrath J
Original judgment source is linked above.
(1) Proceedings against Goodline Enterprises Pty Ltd (Goodline Enterprises) and Bridgeline Pty Ltd t/a Harcourts Alliance (Bridgeline) in the District Court (CIV 127 of 2025). The proceedings were commenced on 22 January 2025. On 3 June 2025, the applicant attempted to file a statement of claim which was refused due to non-compliance with the rules of court.[11] The amended statement of claim pleaded a myriad of grounds including misleading and deceptive conduct, unconscionable conduct, fraud, negligence and abuse of process. These proceedings were discontinued by the applicant on 20 June 2025.
(2) Proceedings against Goodline Enterprises and Bridgeline and others in the Supreme Court (CIV 1455 of 2025). On 1 May 2025, the applicant attempted to lodge a Writ of Summons with an Indorsement of Claim. The Registrar refused to accept that document for filing for the reason that it was an abuse of process under O 67 r 5 of the RSC.
(3) Proceedings against Goodline Enterprises and Bridgeline in the Supreme Court by Originating Motion lodged 27 May 2025 (CIV 1553 of 2025). Hill J ordered the Originating Motion be adjourned sine die and that the chamber summons for an urgent interlocutory injunction dated 28 May 2025 be dismissed.
(1) An order made by a court under this Act is final and binding on all parties to the proceedings in which the order is made and on all persons who under this Act could have become entitled to be joined as a party to the proceeding in which the order is made, and no appeal shall lie in respect thereof.
(2) No declaratory judgment shall be given and no order shall be made under section 36 of the Magistrates Court Act 2004 in respect of proceedings taken or to be taken under this Act in the Magistrates Court or any order made in such proceedings by that court, unless the Supreme Court is satisfied that the Magistrates Court had or has no jurisdiction conferred by or under this Act in respect of the proceedings or that a party to the proceedings has been denied natural justice.
(3) This section applies despite Part 7 of the Magistrates Court (Civil Proceedings) Act 2004.
(1) Where a lessor or a tenant under a residential tenancy agreement gives notice of termination to the other under this Act except under section 70A and the tenant fails to deliver up possession of the premises on the day specified, the lessor may, subject to section 62(5)(a), within 30 days after that day, apply to a competent court for an order terminating the agreement and an order for possession of the premises.
(2) Subject to this section, a competent court shall, upon application under this section, make an order terminating the agreement and an order for possession of the premises, if it is satisfied -
(a) that notice of termination was given by the lessor or tenant to the other and that it complied with and was given in accordance with this Act; and
(3) Notwithstanding subsection (2) the court may -
(b) refuse to make the orders under that subsection, if it is satisfied -
(i) that giving the notice is retaliatory action taken by the lessor against the tenant because of a matter mentioned in section 26B(2)(a), (b) or (c); or
(ii) in the case of notice given by the lessor upon the ground of a breach by the tenant, that the tenant has remedied the breach, but in every case the court shall take into account any previous breaches of the agreement by the tenant; or
(iii) in the case of notice given by the lessor upon the ground referred to in section 69, that the consequences of the lessor continuing to be bound by the agreement would not be unduly burdensome to the lessor.
(4) Where in any proceedings upon an application under this section the court is satisfied that the tenant had, within the period of 6 months before notice was given by the lessor, complained to a public authority or taken steps to secure or enforce the tenant's rights as a tenant, the burden shall lie on the lessor to prove that the lessor was not wholly or partly motivated to give notice by that fact.
(1) If a person is or would be aggrieved by one or more of the following -
(a) the failure of a Court officer to do any act or make any order or direction -
(i) on the ground that the officer is under a duty to do the act or make the order or direction; or
(ii) on any ground that might have justified an order of mandamus;
(b) an act, order or direction that a Court officer proposes to do or make -
(i) on the ground that it would be without jurisdiction or power or would be an abuse of process; or
(ii) on any ground that might have justified an order of prohibition;
(c) an act, order or direction done or made by a Court officer -
(i) on the ground that it was done or made without jurisdiction or power or is an abuse of process; or
(ii) on any ground that might have justified an order of certiorari,
the person may apply to the Supreme Court for an order (a review order) that requires the Court officer and any person who will be affected by the act, order or direction to satisfy the Supreme Court at a hearing that the act, order or direction should or should not be done or made or set aside, as the case requires.
(a) the Magistrates Court had or has no jurisdiction conferred by or under the Act in respect of the proceedings; or
(b) that a party to the proceedings has been denied natural justice.
[50] The concept of jurisdictional error was described in the following terms by Hayne J in Re Refugee Review Tribunal; Ex parte Aala:
'There is a jurisdictional error if the decision maker makes a decision outside the limits of the functions and powers conferred on him or her, or does something which he or she lacks power to do. By contrast, incorrectly deciding something which the decision maker is authorised to decide is an error within jurisdiction. (This is sometimes described as authority to go wrong, that is, to decide matters within jurisdiction incorrectly.) The former kind of error concerns departures from limits upon the exercise of power. The latter does not.'
[51] This passage was quoted with approval by the plurality in Kirk v Industrial Court (NSW), and applied by this court in Forrest & Forrest Pty Ltd v The Honourable William Richard Marmion, Minister for Mines and Petroleum.
[52] It is more difficult to demonstrate jurisdictional error on the part of an inferior court than in the case of an administrative decision-maker. Generally speaking, unlike administrative decision-makers, inferior courts have jurisdiction to decide questions of law, including the proper construction of a statute, and to do so incorrectly.
[53] While the categories are not closed, the following five categories of jurisdictional error in respect of inferior courts and analogous bodies are well established:
First, if an inferior court or an anomalous tribunal mistakenly asserts or denies the existence of jurisdiction. Second, if it misapprehends or disregards the nature or limits of its functions or powers in a case where it correctly recognises that jurisdiction does exist. Third, if it is an essential condition of the exercise of jurisdiction with respect to a particular matter that a certain event or requirement has in fact occurred or been satisfied ([...] a jurisdictional 'fact') there will be jurisdictional error if the court or a tribunal purports to act in circumstances where that event has not in fact occurred or that requirement has not in fact been satisfied even though the matter is the kind of matter which the court has jurisdiction to entertain. Fourth, jurisdictional error will occur where an inferior court disregards or takes account of some matter in circumstances where the statute establishing it and conferring its jurisdiction requires that that particular matter be taken into account or ignored as a precondition of the existence of any authority to make an order or decision in the circumstances of the case. Fifth, it will exceed its authority and fall into jurisdictional error if it misconstrues the statute establishing it and conferring jurisdiction and thereby misconceives the nature or the function which it is performing or the extent of its powers in the circumstances of the case.
[54] Another category is where the decision is made in breach of natural justice.
What is appropriate in terms of natural justice depends on the circumstances of the case and they will include, inter alia, the nature of the inquiry, the subject-matter, and the rules under which the decision-maker is acting ...
In this respect the expression 'procedural fairness' more aptly conveys the notion of a flexible obligation to adopt fair procedures, which are appropriate and adapted to the circumstances of the particular case.
Absent a clear legislative intent to the contrary, a statutory power conferred on a court must be exercised with procedural fairness ... The rules of procedural fairness are concerned with procedures rather than outcomes, and they are therefore rules which govern what a court must do in the course of deciding how a statutory power should be exercised. In other words, the rules of procedural fairness are to be applied to the procedures by which a decision pursuant to the exercise of the statutory power will be made.
(1) The Magistrates Court would be able to resolve the application more promptly than the Supreme Court would be able to determine the applicant's claims in the higher court civil proceedings, particularly so given that the applicant had only very recently lodged the Supreme Court proceedings.[37]
(2) Ordinarily, a person occupying premises was obliged to pay rent even while litigating claims in respect to the leased premises.[38] The applicant accepted, during the hearing, that she was in rental arrears in the amount of 'around $20,000'.[39]
(3) If the applicant was successful in the civil proceedings then she could obtain damages, including in respect of rent the applicant had paid.[40]
(4) That whilst he was not in a position to make any determination of the merits of those civil proceedings, it appeared that the applicant faced a number of difficulties in those proceedings.[41]
(5) The Supreme Court would be better placed than the Magistrates Court to consider a stay application by the applicant in respect to any orders made by the learned Magistrate. The application before the learned Magistrate was narrow.[42]
I certify that the preceding paragraph(s) comprise the reasons for decision of the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
[1] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [6], Annexure TAMO-2.
[2] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [6], Annexure TAMO-2.
[3] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [7], Annexure TAMO-3, TAMO-4, TAMO-5.
[4] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [8], Annexure TAMO-6.
[5] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [9], Annexure TAMO-7.
[6] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [10], Annexure TAMO-8.
[7] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [6], Annexure TAMO-11.
[8] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [11], Annexure TAMO-9.
[9] Magistrates Court proceedings - JOO/RSTN/263/2025.
[10] Affidavit of Mr O'Neill sworn 16 July 2025 [12], Annexure TAMO-10.
[11] Order of Registrar Nunn made on 6 June 2025.
[12] Rayney v AW [2009] WASCA 203.
[13] Bajaj v Magistrate Trevor Darge [2021] WASCA 218.
[18] Rayney v AW [2009] WASCA 203 [27].
[19] Re Magistrate Trevor Darge; Ex parte Snook [2023] WASC 386; Re Bajaj; Ex parte Bajaj [2021] WASC 335.
[20] Bajaj v Magistrate Trevor Darge [2021] WASCA 218 [49].
[21] Kirk v Industrial Court of New South Wales [2010] HCA 1 [99] - [100].
[22] Rayney v AW [2009] WASCA 203.
[23] Bajaj v Magistrate Trevor Darge [2021] WASCA 218.
[24] Bajaj v Magistrate Trevor Darge [2021] WASCA 218 [50] ‑ [54].
[25] Kioa v West [1985] HCA 81; (1985) 159 CLR 550.
[26] Kioa v West [1985] HCA 81; (1985) 159 CLR 550, 584 - 585.
[27] Teakle v The State of Western Australia [2007] WASCA 15; (2007) 33 WAR 188.
[28] Teakle v The State of Western Australia [2007] WASCA 15; (2007) 33 WAR 188 [63].
[29] Re Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs; Ex parte Lam [2003] HCA 6; (2003) 214 CLR 1 [37] - [38].
[30] Attorney-General (NSW) v Quinn (1990) 170 CLR 1, 35 - 36 (Brennan J).
[31] Originating Motion filed 23 June 2025.
[32] Originating Motion filed 23 June 2025.
[33] Originating Motion filed 23 June 2025.
[34] First Affidavit of the applicant sworn 24 June 2025, page 2.
[35] See by way of example: Allen v Contrast Constructions Pty Ltd [2025] QSC 18 [46] - [49]; Palmer v Citic Ltd [2017] WASC 253 [7] - [11] (Le Miere J).
[36] Re Magistrate Trevor Darge; Ex parte Snook [2023] WASC 386 [121].
(1985) 159 CLR 550
(2007) 33 WAR 188
(2003) 214 CLR 1
(1990) 170 CLR 1