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[2012] ACTSC 157
Supreme Court of the ACT
2012-09-20
Refshauge J
Original judgment source is linked above.
SUPREME COURT OF THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
CRIMINAL LAW - bail - successive applications for bail - Bail Act s 20C - change in circumstances - jurisdiction - fixing of trial date sufficient to grant jurisdiction - effect of delay before trial - lengthy delay inappropriate - delay relevant but not determinative to bail.
CRIMINAL LAW - bail - strength of Crown case - entirely circumstantial case - weak Crown case not a justification for granting bail - risk of reoffending - onus of proof - Crown must at least adduce sufficient evidence to raise the risk of re-offending - finding on a risk of re-offending must not be merely speculative.
Bail Act 1978 (NSW), s 32
Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT), s 18
Collins v The Queen [2003] ACTCA 17
Dunstan v Director of Public Prosecutions [1999] FCA 921; (1999) 92 FCR 168
Edwards (1988) 35 A Crim R 465
Eleko v Government of Nigeria [1928] AC 459
Filipetti (1978) 13 A Crim R 335
Gray v Director of Public Prosecutions [2008] VSC 4
Hillier v The Queen [2007] HCA 13; (2007) 228 CLR 618
Mercanti v Western Australia [2005] WASCA 254
Musarri v The Queen [2001] WASC 200
Pinkstone (2000) 119 A Crim R 462
R v A (1968) 13 FLR 342
Re an Application for Bail by Breen [2009] ACTSC 172; (2009) 172 ACTR 21
Re an Application for Bail by Holmes [2011] ACTSC 187
Re an Application for Bail by Rodriguez [2008] ACTSC 50
Re an Application for Bail by SA [2010] ACTSC 114
R v Hilton (1987) 7 NSWLR 745
R v Kissner (Unreported, Supreme Court of New South Wales, Hunt CJ, 17 January 1992)
R v Rochford; Ex parte Harvey (1967) 15 FLR 140
Saka v The Queen [2001] WASC 92
Gans, J, Henning, T, Hunter, J, Warner, K, Criminal Process and Human Rights (Federation Press, 2011)
(1) Mr Rubino is bailed to take his trial on 9 December 2013 or on any other occasions as directed by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, on the following conditions:
(a) a cash surety of $10 000 is to be paid by Ms Anna Rubino, who the Court declares to be an acceptable person for that purpose;
(b) that he reside at [an address provided to the Court];
(c) that he not use a mobile telephone;
(d) that he may use a land line telephone but must disclose that telephone number to the police if requested;
(e) that he not contact or approach, directly or indirectly, Mr Michael John Robertson, save that his legal representatives may contact Mr Robertson's legal representatives;
(f) that he not drive a motor vehicle;
(g) that he report twice a day, between 6:00 am and 11:00 am and then 3:00 pm and 8.30 pm each day, to the officer in charge of Belconnen Police Station;
(h) that he not absent himself from his place of residence between the hours of 9:00pm and 6:00am unless he is and remains in the company of his mother; and
(i) that he not attend or be within 100 metres of any shopping centres or clubs after 6:00pm.
(a) that since the last application for bail there has been a change in circumstances relevant to the granting of bail; or
(b) that there is fresh evidence or information of relevance to the granting of bail that was unavailable at the last application for bail.
Mr Pappas further submitted that while on its face the terms of the section [that is, the predecessor to section 20C of the Bail Act] provide a high threshold to be met by applicants for a review, the provision had to be interpreted in the light of s 18 of the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT) and that the effect of this would be to moderate the strictness with which the threshold was to be applied. I have said before that, in my view this is a strong submission. I have not had the opportunity to consider it in detail. It is clear that the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT) does not prevent pre-trial custodial detention and does not mandate bail in every case. I have not had an opportunity to give the interaction between the two Acts a detailed consideration and, given the time available to me, will not do so now.
A persuasive and satisfying case is ... required, and not one in which the differences disclosed by the additional material go only to matters of mere detail, or to considerations which, although not previously raised, would not have been likely to alter the balance to one favouring the grant of bail.
Accordingly, I hold that the matters raised [in the equivalent to section 20C of the Bail Act] in order to enliven the jurisdiction ... be matters that would have been likely, if known to the judge who previously refused bail, to alter the balance in favour of bail.
It is a wrong approach to deny a person bail in an effort to eliminate the risk that such a person might commit offences if free to do so. There is no legislative warrant for preventative detention based on a fear that the worst possibility will come to pass. The question posed by the Bail Act is whether the Court is satisfied that any risk is sufficient to justify the Court denying the accused person a legal right, the right to bail, established by s 8.
In my view, it is wrong to approach the issue under ss 8(2) and 22(1)(c) on the basis of the elimination of risk. The correct question to ask is whether the prosecution has satisfied the Court that on the evidence before it there is a real likelihood of the applicant committing an offence while released on bail, although in this connection, likelihood does not mean more likely than not: see the explanation by Deane J in Tillmans Butcheries Pty Ltd v Australasian Meat Industry Employees' Union (1979) 42 FLR 331 at 346-348 ... If the answer is yes, then that factor, and the extent of the likelihood, will be taken into account in the general weighing process. If the answer is no, then any possibility short of real likelihood is simply to be ignored in the balancing process. > > It should be borne in mind, when considering this topic, that refusal of bail upon the basis of 22(1)(c) alone is tantamount to preventative detention. In my view, this is a cogent reason for not permitting a finding to be made on this issue on the basis of suspicion and speculation. Discussion of the matter in terms of risk is calculated to encourage that basis.
(6) A court or an authorised officer, in granting bail to an accused person who is an adult -
(a) must not impose a condition mentioned in subsection (1) unless the court or authorised officer is of the opinion that the imposition of the condition is necessary to secure 1 or more of the following purposes:
(i) the attendance of the person before a court from time to time as required in relation to the offence in relation to which bail is being granted;
(ii) the protection from harm of the accused person or any other person;
(iii) the prevention of the accused person from committing an offence while at liberty on bail;
(iv) the prevention of the accused person from interfering with evidence, intimidating witnesses or otherwise obstructing the course of justice whether in relation to himself or herself or anyone else; and
(b) must not, except at the request of the accused person, impose a condition, or a combination of conditions, that impose obligations that are more onerous than necessary to secure the purposes referred to in paragraph (a) for which the condition or combination of conditions is imposed.
Section 25(6)(b) makes the point that if the accused person requests the bail conditions I can impose them even if they are more onerous than necessary to secure the relevant bail obligations.
Suitability of the person providing the surety
(a) a cash surety of $10 000 is to be paid, and I will declare that Anna Rubino is an acceptable person for the purpose of lodging the surety;
(b) he is to reside at [an address provided to the Court];
(c) he is not to use a mobile phone;
(d) he may use a landline but must disclose that number to police if requested;
(e) he is not to approach or contact John Michael Robertson directly or indirectly save that his legal representatives may contact Mr Robertson's legal representatives;
(f) he is not to drive a motor vehicle;
(g) he is to report twice a day, between 6:00 am and 11:00 am and then between 3:00 pm and 8.30 pm each day, to the officer in charge of Belconnen Police Station;
(h) he is not to leave his residence between the hours of 9:00 pm and 6:00 am unless he is and remains in the company of his mother;
(i) he is not to attend or be within 100 metres of any shopping centres or clubs after 6:00 pm. Although where second level quotes exist some attention may need to be paid to the spacing between first level and second level quotes, in circumstances where you are including quoted paragraph numbers. It is too hard to fix this in the template.
I certify that the preceding sixty-one (61) numbered paragraphs are a true copy of the Reasons for Judgment of his Honour Justice Refshauge.
R
Richard Michael Rubino [2012] ACTSC 157
(1999) 92 FCR 168
(2007) 228 CLR 618
(1968) 13 FLR 342
(1987) 7 NSWLR 745
(1967) 15 FLR 140
(1979) 42 FLR 331