[2023] WASC 23
General information, not legal advice.
Supreme Court of WA
2023-02-10
Lundberg J
Original judgment source is linked above.
Orders made by consent to adjourn the Hearing from 1 July 2022 to 15 July 2022. The adjournment was required because the Respondent was in isolation due to COVID-19 and it was not possible for all reports required for the review to be completed in time.
Hearing of the Review Application. This Hearing was adjourned on the application of the Respondent to 20 October 2022, with a directions hearing listed for 20 September 2022.
Hearing of the Review Application before Archer J. This Hearing was adjourned on the application of the Respondent to 20 December 2022.
Hearing of the Review Application before Lundberg J.
Resumed hearing of the Review Application before Lundberg J.
It's staggering that that is what the...state is inviting you to do today by pressing on you to proceed. They are asking for you to act unjudicially. They are asking for you to act without discretion. They say it's there in the Act, but the practical effect by virtue of the concession that was made you can't release him if he doesn't have a house leads to the irresistible conclusion that in all of the circumstances, your Honour, if you were to proceed today, it would run contrary to Kable.[15]
The house that is on offer to the respondent is not under the supported accommodation program. Reading the update CSA report, it's a house which Uniting WA is leasing from the Department of Communities under some contract and they are making a special arrangement or entering into - they're prepared to enter into a special arrangement with the respondent so that he can take up occupation in that house.
But your opinion, as it stands today, is that the risk that [the Respondent] poses can be adequately ameliorated or managed by him being placed on a supervision order within the community. Is that correct? ---Yes.
Would you agree that the significant changes, amongst some, since you gave evidence before her Honour Justice Hill, I think, back in 2020 or 2021, has been that insight into the impact that alcohol consumption had on his prior offending behaviour?---That's certainly, yes, one of the gains for sure. Yes.
And you've seen the transcript of the sentencing before his Honour Judge Wisbey back in 1997, I think it was, in relation to the offending against the 83 year old lady in 1995?---Yes
And you would agree with me that alcohol was a significant or had a significant impact on the offending at that time?---Yes.
And, indeed, in relation to the 2009 offending that he was sentenced by his [sic] Honour Judge Yeats for in 2010 in relation to the child, alcohol had a significant interplay there as well; correct?---Correct.
And is that a - you've been dealing with him now for a couple of years. Is that a significant development, that level of understanding about the harm that alcohol will have on him should he choose to consume alcohol?---Yes, taken in context, yes, he's not someone that displays insight but when you look at the context and where he has come from, it's a significant development, yes.
Since you have that evidence, would you agree that [the Respondent] has made a number of significant advancements as far as his attitude is concerned, particularly towards things like alcohol and engaging meaningfully in therapeutic intervention?---Yes, I - it's a matter of degree, but I would agree with that.
And that, combined with the fact that a house is now available for him, no doubt, underpinned to a significant degree your opinion that he can be adequately managed on a supervision order within the community?---Yes.
Despite participating in treatment since November 2020, [the Respondent] has only appeared to meaningfully engage in the counselling sessions since January this year. Prior to that time, he presented as combative, defensive, avoidant, obfuscatory, and lacking in motivation. This was not unexpected behaviour in light of his previously identified personality structure and psychopathic traits. He does not appear to have made any observable gains at this point. As previously noted, a robust therapeutic relationship between [the Respondent] and Dr Riordan will need to be established, in conjunction with [the Respondent's] continued commitment to meaningfully engage, before he can reasonably be expected to make meaningful and authentic treatment gains.
Due to the limited amount of time that [the Respondent] has been genuinely engaged in sessions with Dr Riordan, the treatment remains in its preliminary stages, and there continues to be a range of outstanding criminogenic needs. These include: addressing the role of alcohol and drug use in his offending, intimacy deficits, emotion management (particularly frustration tolerance), improving coping skills, problem solving, sexual deviancy and pre-occupation, re-socialisation issues, social/interpersonal skills, and cognitive distortions. It is possible that in the event [the Respondent] chooses to consistently and meaningfully engage in treatment with his treating clinician, his insight could improve, and potentially build his capacity to successfully self-manage.
(a) any report prepared under section 74 for the hearing of the application and the extent to which the offender cooperated in the examination required by that section;
>
> (b) any other medical, psychiatric, psychological, or other assessment relating to the offender;
>
> (c) information indicating whether or not the offender has a propensity to commit serious offences in the future;
>
> (d) whether or not there is any pattern of offending behaviour by the offender;
>
> (e) any efforts by the offender to address the cause or causes of the offender's offending behaviour, including whether the offender has participated in any rehabilitation programme;
>
> (f) whether or not the offender's participation in any rehabilitation programme has had a positive effect on the offender;
>
> (g) the offender's antecedents and criminal record;
>
> (h) the risk that, if the offender were not subject to a restriction order, the offender would commit a serious offence;
>
> (i) the need to protect members of the community from that risk;
>
> (j) any other relevant matter.
...the effect of s 29(1) is that a supervision order cannot be made, and a continuing detention order must be made, if the risk of the commission of the specified serious offence remains more likely than not after taking into account the conditions of the supervision order. Nevertheless, subject to the issues related to legislative facts discussed below, which issues were not before this Court on the appeal, a continuing detention order should be a rare order because s 30(5) permits an almost unlimited range of possible conditions beyond the standard supervision order conditions. In most circumstances, a supervision order should be able to satisfy the Court that the specified serious offence will not be committed on the balance of probabilities. In addition to reporting and electronic monitoring, the long list of possible supervision order conditions includes conditions like those before the Court in Minister for Home Affairs v Benbrika such as prohibitions on various associations or attending various locations, home curfew, and even, in extreme cases, home detention requirements.
As to supervision orders, there is a huge range of possible conditions that deprive an offender of their liberty without custodial detention. The Court should consider the conditions that are "appropriate", in addition to the standard conditions in s 30(2). The requirement of appropriateness imposes a duty on the Court to make only the additional supervision conditions required to ensure "adequate" protection of the community, while imposing the minimum intrusion on an offender's liberty.
Pursuant to section 68(1)(b)(ii) of the High Risk Serious Offenders Act 2020 (WA) (HRSO Act), the Court, having found that the Respondent remains a high risk serious offender within the meaning of section 7(1) of the HRSO Act, makes a supervision order in relation to the Respondent, for a period of 7 years from 27 February 2023, being a date earlier than 21 days from the date this Order is made but being a date on which the Court is satisfied that the implementation of this order is practically feasible, on the following conditions:
(a) for the purpose of averting or minimizing a serious risk of death or injury to yourself or another person;
(b) for a purpose, and for a duration, approved in advance by a CCO;
Note: The term 'contact' for the purposes of Conditions 45, 46, 47 and 48 means any form of interaction or communication whether by word, gesture, expression or touch and whether in person, in writing, by telephonic or electronic means, but does not include the bare minimum of interaction or communication necessary between an adult and child to promptly and civilly terminate any inadvertent or uninvited interaction or communication)
(a) the contact is authorised in advance by the CCO and such contact is supervised at all times by an adult approved in advance by the CCO; or
>
> (b) the contact is necessary to complete a commercial transaction and limited to the minimum contact required to complete the transaction, and another adult is present.
Whilst in any public place or in view of a public place, not be in possession of any animate or inanimate item capable of constituting an enticement to children, unless such possession is for legitimate purpose and approved in advance by a CCO.
53A. Not to engage in any online gaming via any console or platform unless approved in advance by a CCO and in accordance with the written instructions issued by a CCO.
I certify that the preceding paragraph(s) comprise the reasons for decision of the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
[1] I have made suppression orders in respect of this matter. Accordingly, the references to the earlier decisions will be redacted.
[4] On 26 August 2020, the DSO Act was repealed, and the HRSO Act came into effect. Under the transitional provisions of the HRSO Act, the State's application was taken to have been made under s 35(1) of the HRSO Act: HRSO Act s 124.
[8] Community Supervision Assessment report dated 7 July 2022 (Exhibit D, pg 1440); oral evidence of Ms Aimee Goode, a representative with COMU, at ts 367 - 368; and letter from Uniting WA dated 18 November 2022 (Exhibit J).
[13] Further developed in later cases such as Fardon v Attorney-General (Qld) [2004] HCA 46; (2004) 223 CLR 575; Vella v Commissioner of Police (NSW) (2019) 269 CLR 219, and Minister for Home Affairs v Benbrika [2021] HCA 4; (2021) 95 ALJR 166; 388 ALR 1.
[14] Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [1996] HCA 24; (1996) 189 CLR 51, 103.
[32] The State of Western Australia v Garlett [2021] WASC 387 [135] ‑ [138]. See also The State of Western Australia v D'Rozario [No 3] [2021] WASC 412 [19] ‑ [21]; and The State of Western Australia v Narrier [No 2] [2022] WASC 49 [23].
[34] Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v GTR [2008] WASCA 187; (2008) 38 WAR 307 [28] (Steytler P & Buss JA).
[35] The State of Western Australia v Garlett [2021] WASC 387 [136(b)].
[40] Garlett v The State of Western Australia [2022] HCA 30 [45], [55] - [56] (Kiefel CJ, Keane and Steward JJ), but see the analysis of Edelman J on this issue at [247] - [255], describing continuing detention orders under the HRSO Act as 'protective punishment'.
[41] The State of Western Australia v Latimer [2006] WASC 235 [49].
[42] Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Griffiths [2015] WASC 393 [107].
[43] HRSO Act s 8(b). See also The State of Western Australia v Tomasovich [No 2] [2022] WASC 402 [38] (Curthoys J).
[45] Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Pindan [No 3] [2017] WASC 107 [51].
[48] Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v GTR [26] ‑ [27] (Steytler P & Buss JA) and Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Williams [2007] WASCA 206; (2007) 35 WAR 297 [63] - [65] (Wheeler JA)
[49] The State of Western Australia v Newland [No 3] [2022] WASC 43 [23]. See also Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Unwin [No 3] [2013] WASC 178 [14] - [18].
[50] Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Unwin [No 3] [18], cited with approval by Fiannaca J in Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Dinah [No 9] [2017] WASC 158 [18].
[56] Dr Hall had also prepared a report for the purposes of an earlier application before the court. That report is dated 11 August 2020 (Exhibit C, pg 1289 - 1331).
[89] ts 364 and Exhibit D, p 1438, Exhibit F and Exhibit N.
[96] State's Submissions [30] - [117] and [120] - [124], and ts 404 - 406.
[99] With respect, I agree with the findings of the court in this regard, at [119] and [120] of its reasons on the Initial Hearing. Those findings were based in part of Dr Hall's opinion.
[100] As explained in Hone v The State of Western Australia [2007] WASCA 283 [124] (Miller JA, with whom Steytler P and Wheeler JA agreed), referring to R v Hall (1988) 36 A Crim R 368, 370 - 371 (Roden J).
[101] Following the approaches of E M Heenan J in Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Wesley [No 2] [2015] WASC 168 [56]; and Allanson J in Director of Public Prosecutions for Western Australia v Stephenson [2015] WASC 496 [72] - [74].
[102] Director of Public Prosecutions for Western Australia v Decke [2009] WASC 312 [14], cited in the State's submissions at [44].
[105] Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Hart [2019] WASC 4 [52]; The State of Western Australia v West [No 6] [2019] WASC 427 [29]; The State of Western Australia v ZSJ [2020] WASC 330 [56] ‑ [58]; The State of Western Australia v Patrick [No 4] [2020] WASC 48 [109] - [111].
[106] Garlett v The State of Western Australia [2022] HCA 30 [232] (Edelman J), with footnotes omitted.
[108] ts 352 (and see also ts 356, being cross-examination by counsel for the Respondent).
[110] State's Submissions [116] - [117].
[112] Garlett v The State of Western Australia [2022] HCA 30 [230] (Edelman J), with footnotes omitted.
[113] To echo the observations made in The State of Western Australia v ACG [2022] WASC 427 [47] (Strk J).
[114] Community Assessment Report dated 7 July 2022 (Exhibit D, pg 1446 - 1454); Report of Dr Hall dated 5 July 2022 (Exhibit D, pg 1427, 1433 - 1434).
[117] The State drew my attention to Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Hart [No 3] [2010] WASC 253 [21]-[22] (McKechnie J) and Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) v Teague [No 4] [2013] WASC 420 [27] (McKechnie J). The State noted that, in those cases, McKechnie J was not prepared to suppress the suburb in which the accommodation was situated
(1996) 189 CLR 51
(2008) 38 WAR 307
(2004) 223 CLR 575
(2019) 269 CLR 219
(2021) 95 ALJR 166
(2007) 35 WAR 297