The term ‘public interest’ is not defined in legislation or case law. Instead the courts have chosen to provide guidance as to what constitutes a public interest case: See Australian Law Reform Commission, Cost Shifting – Who Pays for Litigation, Report No 75 (1995) 13.2. The characteristics of those cases that the courts have held to be ‘public interest cases’ will be discussed below.
2.
(1993) 118 ALR 265 (‘Sacks’).
3.
Ibid268–269.
4.
(1997) 74 FCR 384 (‘Hanisch’).
5.
Ibid387.
6.
Ibid390.
7.
(1993) 118 ALR 265.
8.
[1992] FCA No NG808 of 1992 (Unreported, Drummond J, 11 April 1994) (‘Maunchest’).
9.
(1995) 58 FCR 139 (‘Homefund’).
10.
(1997) 74 FCR 384.
11.
[2000] FCA 1785 (Unreported, Sackville J, 8 December 2000) (‘Dibb’).
12.
(2006) 230 ALR 411 (‘Save the Ridge Inc’).
13.
[1997] FCA 634 (Unreported, Moore J, 17 July 1997).
14.
Federal Magistrates Court Rules 2001 (Cth) r 21.03.
15.
(1997) 74 FCR 384, 387.
16.
(1993) 118 ALR 265.
17.
[2000] FCA 1785 (Unreported, Sackville J, 8 December 2000)
18.
Ibid [15].
19.
Hanisch (1997) 74 FCR 384, 387.
20.
[1992] FCA No NG808 of 1992 (Unreported, DrummondJ, 11 April 1994) [13].
21.
Oshlack v Richmond River Council (1998) 193 CLR 72.
22.
(1995) 58 FCR 139, 146.
23.
Ibid148.
24.
Ibid.
25.
See Ruddock v Vadarlis (2001) 115 FCR 229.
26.
(2001) 162 FLR 433.
27.
Ibid441.
28.
(2001) 115 FCR 306.
29.
Ibid326.
30.
Xiros (2001) 162 FLR 433, 441. See also Jacomb v The Australian Municipal, Administrative, Clerical & Services Union [2004] FCA 1600 (Unreported, CrennanJ, 8 December 2004) and AB v New South Wales (No 2) [2005] FMCA 1624 (Unreported, Driver FM, 8 September 2005).
31.
Save the Ridge Inc (2006) 230 ALR 411, 445.
32.
Xiros (2001) 162 FLR 433, 441.
33.
[2002] FMCA 197 (Unreported, Raphael FM, 2 September 2002).
34.
Ibid [13].
35.
[2005] FCA 793 (Unreported, LanderJ, 16 June 2005).
36.
Ibid [33].
37.
See Devlin v Education Queensland (No 1) [2005] EOC 93-386, in which it unsuccessfully argued that the respondent's failure to provide the applicant with an Auslan interpreter as part of its education policy amounted to indirect discrimination
38.
Hurst v State of Queensland [2006] FCAFC 100.
39.
[1988] 81 ALR 166.
40.
Save the Ridge Inc (2006) 230 ALR 411, 415.
41.
See Homefund (1995) 58 FCR 139.
42.
See Minns v New South Wales (No 2) [2002] FMCA 197 (Unreported, Raphael FM, 2 September 2002) [9].
43.
R (Corner House Research) v Secretary of State for Trade and Industry [2005] 4 All ER 1.
44.
(2004) 233 DLR (4th) 577.
45.
Ibid598–599.
46.
See TollefsonChrisGillilandDarleneDeMarcoJerry, ‘Towards a Costs Jurisprudence in Public Interest Litigation’ (2004) 83Canadian Bar Review473.
47.
See TollefsonChris, ‘Costs and the Public Interest Litigant: Okanagan Indian Band and Beyond’ (2006) 19Canadian Journal of Administrative Law and Practice39.
