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Turning Fortifications into Constitutional Bypasses: Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc V Commissioner of Police

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

Hugo Leith
Hugo Leith*
Affiliation:
Department of the Attorney-General (WA)
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Extract

Gypsy Jokers v Commissioner of Police (‘Gypsy Jokers’), at least in the Western Australian Court of Appeal, concerned the application of the so-called Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (‘Kable’) principle (or principles). That is, the principle restricting the State legislatures’ powers to confer responsibilities on State courts vested or capable of being vested with federal jurisdiction, especially State Supreme Courts, as would be incompatible with the exercise of that federal jurisdiction. Kable's focus has been sharpened and narrowed in subsequent cases to refer to theories of the ‘institutional integrity’ of State courts, or their actual and apparent ‘independence and impartiality’.

On appeal to the High Court, Gypsy Jokers dramatically shifted from a development of relatively novel and volatile constitutional principles into an application of canons of statutory construction, followed by a conclusion of constitutional validity that bypassed the leading tests.

Type
Research Article
Information
Federal Law Review , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , June 2008 , pp. 251 - 264
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 The Australian National University

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Footnotes

Tutor and lecturer, University of Notre Dame, and tutor, University of Western Australia. The views expressed in this paper are personal and are not those of the State Solicitor’s Office or the government of Western Australia.

References

1 (2007) 33 WAR 245; (2008) 242 ALR 191.

2 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2007) 33 WAR 245, 248 [4] (Martin CJ), 266 [77] (Steytler P), 281 [129] (Wheeler JA), but also cf 282 [132] (Wheeler JA).

3 (1996) 189 CLR 51.

4 See, eg, Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2007) 33 WAR 245, 267 [78] (Steytler P), but cf Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 215 [99] (Kirby J).

5 Kable (1996) 189 CLR 51; see also Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 204 [50] (Kirby J); Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2007) 33 WAR 245, 267 [80] (Steytler P).

6 Forge v Australian Securities and Investments Commission (2006) 228 CLR 45, 76 [63] (Gummow, Hayne and Crennan JJ) (‘Forge v ASIC’).

7 North Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service Inc v Bradley (2004) 218 CLR 146, 163 [29] (McHugh, Gummow, Kirby, Hayne, Callinan and Heydon JJ); Fardon v A-G (Qld) (2004) 223 CLR 575, 591 [15] (Gleeson CJ) (‘Fardon’); see also Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 195 [10] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

8 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 224 [140] (Crennan J).

9 Corruption and Crime Commission Act 2003 (WA) s 76(2): ‘The Commissioner of Police may identify any information provided to the court for the purposes of the review as confidential if its disclosure might prejudice the operations of the Commissioner of Police, and information so identified is for the court’s use only and is not to be disclosed to any other person, whether or not a party to the proceedings, or publicly disclosed in any way.’

10 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2007) 33 WAR 245, 273–4 [99]-[101] (Steytler P).

11 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 229 [166]-[167] (Crennan J).

12 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2007) 33 WAR 245, in respect of the United Kingdom and the European Union at 249–56 [10]-[36], Canada at 257–60 [40]–[49], the United States at 260–1 [50]–[55], and New Zealand at 256–7 [37]–[39] (Martin CJ).

13 Ibid 263 [62] (Martin CJ).

14 Ibid 276 [106] (Steytler P).

15 Ibid 277 [110] (Steytler P).

16 Ibid.

17 (1995) 184 CLR 348.

18 (1996) 189 CLR 1.

19 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2007) 33 WAR 245, 282 [135], 284 [144], 286 [148] (Wheeler JA).

20 Ibid 288 [158] (Wheeler JA).

21 Ibid 290 [165] (Wheeler JA).

22 Ibid 262 [59] (Martin CJ), 277 [110] (Steytler P), 280–1 [128] (Wheeler JA).

23 See, eg, Fardon (2004) 223 CLR 575; Baker v The Queen (2004) 223 CLR 513 (‘Baker’); Silbert v DPP (WA) (2004) 217 CLR 181.

24 Forge v ASIC (2006) 228 CLR 45.

25 [2004] 1 Qd R 40.

26 Criminal Proceeds Confiscation Act 2002 (Qld) ss 28, 30.

27 Bass v Permanent Trustee Co Ltd (1999) 198 CLR 334, 359 [56] (Gleeson CJ, Gaudron, McHugh, Gummow, Hayne and Callinan JJ).

28 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 210 [76] (Kirby J).

29 Transcript of Proceedings, Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (High Court of Australia, Mr Jackson, 27 September 2007) 52, line 2324; see also at 65, line 2911.

30 Transcript of Proceedings, Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (High Court of Australia, Gummow J, 27 September 2007) 36, line 1562.

31 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 195–6 [8]–[11] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

32 Ibid 198 [21]–[23] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

33 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 198 [19] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ), citing Electric Light and Power Supply Corporation Ltd v Electricity Commission of NSW (1956) 94 CLR 554, 560 (‘Electric Light and Power Supply’); Mansfield v DPP (WA) (2006) 226 CLR 486, 491 [7] (‘Mansfield’).

34 The first part reading: ‘The Commissioner of Police may identify any information provided to the court for the purposes of the review as confidential if its disclosure might prejudice the operations of the Commissioner of Police,’; and the second part: ‘and information so identified is for the court’s use only and is not to be disclosed to any other person, whether or not a party to the proceedings, or publicly disclosed in any way.’

35 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 200 [30]–[31] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

36 Ibid 200 [33] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ) (emphasis added).

37 Ibid 201 [36] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

38 Ibid 230 [173]–[174] (Crennan J).

39 Ibid 210 [76], 212 [82] (Kirby J).

40 Ibid 212 [84] (Kirby J).

41 Ibid 213–14 [87] (Kirby J).

42 Ibid 219 [111] (Kirby J).

43 See generally Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355.

44 See above n 33.

45 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 198 [19]–[20] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

46 Ibid 200 [28] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

47 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355, 388–9 (McHugh, Gummow, Kirby and Hayne JJ). Reference to historical context may legitimately colour the interpretation of a statute where the statute actually cannot actually be understood without inquiring into a ‘background of concepts, principles, practices and circumstances that the drafters “took for granted or understood, without conscious advertence, by reason of their common language or culture”’: Conway v The Queen (2002) 209 CLR 203, 207 [5] (Gaudron ACJ, McHugh, Hayne and Callinan JJ) (citations omitted). The CCC Act was not such a statute.

48 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 198–9 [24]–[25] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

49 Ibid 201 [36] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

50 Ibid 199 [25] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).

51 Ibid 230 [173].

52 See, eg, The Australian Statistician v Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd [2008] WASCA 34 (Unreported, Steytler P, McLure JA and Newnes AJA, 26 February 2008) [35]–[36], [59].

53 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 230 [174].

54 See above Part II.C.1(a).

55 See above n 10 and accompanying text.

56 (2006) 228 CLR 45, 76 [64] (Gummow, Hayne and Crennan JJ).

57 (1996) 189 CLR 51, 106-8 (Gaudron J).

58 Fardon (2004) 223 CLR 575, 615 [92] (Gummow J), citing Re Nolan; Ex parte Young (1991) 172 CLR 460, 496 (Gaudron J); 656 [220]–[221] (Callinan and Heydon JJ).

59 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 201 [36]. See above n 49 and accompanying text.

60 Church of Scientology Inc v Woodward (1982) 154 CLR 25, 61 (Mason J).

61 Sankey v Whitlam (1978) 142 CLR 1, 38–9 (Gibbs ACJ), 56–60 (Stephen J), 98 (Mason J).

62 Ibid 38 (Gibbs ACJ); see also Alister v The Queen (1984) 154 CLR 404, 412 (Gibbs CJ), 434 (Wilson and Dawson JJ).

63 Alister v The Queen (1984) 154 CLR 404, 415–6 (Gibbs CJ).

64 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 232 [183] (Crennan J) (emphasis added).

65 Ibid 201 [36] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ); see also at 194–5 [7] (Gleeson CJ), 230 [174] (Crennan J).

66 Ibid 219 [110] (Kirby J).

67 Ibid 217–18 [108] (Kirby J).

68 Ibid 193 [3] (Gleeson CJ), 228 [163] (Crennan J).

69 See above n 6–7 and accompanying text.

70 K-Generation Pty Ltd v Liquor Licensing Court (2007) 99 SASR 58; see Liquor Licensing Act 1997 (SA) s 28A. Special leave to appeal was granted on 23 May 2008: see Special Leave Applications Results (2008) High Court of Australia <http://www.hcourt.gov.au/registry/slresults/23-05-2008Panel1.pdf> (at 18 August 2008).

71 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 242 ALR 191, 200 [29] (Gummow, Hayne, Heydon and Kiefel JJ).