Vangu Kitoko v State of New South Wales
[2021] NSWSC 545
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Supreme Court of NSW
Decision date
2021-05-14
Before
Adams J, Wright J
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Judgment (10 paragraphs)
Judgment (revised from ex tempore)
- By amended summons, filed on 22 February 2021, Vangu Kitoko seeks judicial review of an administrative decision of the Prothonotary not to grant him fee relief to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the decision of Wright J: Kitoko v University of Technology Sydney [2019] NSWSC 1437.
- The first defendant is the State of New South Wales. The second defendant is the decision-maker, who has filed a submitting appearance. She is the Prothonotary, Ms Rebel Kenna.
- By notice of motion filed on 5 March 2021, the State seeks an order under r 13.4 of Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) ("UCPR") that these proceedings be summarily dismissed. Although relief was initially claimed in the alternative under UCPR r 14.28, that alternative order was not ultimately sought. I will return to the reasons for that below.
- By notice of motion filed on 12 May 2021, Mr Kitoko seeks a number of orders but, primarily, that the State's notice of motion not be heard because it is unlawful; and that instead a timetable be set for the substantive proceedings he has brought in relation to the decision of Ms Kenna.
- At the hearing today, Ms Wootton of counsel appeared for the State, the applicant on the first notice of motion, instructed by the Crown Solicitor's Office. Mr Kitoko appeared unrepresented.
- Shortly after the hearing commenced, and without notice prior to today, Mr Kitoko sought an adjournment alleging that he was not aware of the State's submissions. He spent most of the day arguing why it would be unfair for him to be forced to respond to the State's notice of motion until he had an opportunity to provide written submissions himself. For reasons which will appear below, I indicated to him that I would not be giving him an adjournment in order to provide written submissions in response to the State's motion.
- I shall return to the allegations of unfairness levelled against me by Mr Kitoko further below as well.