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91.
In Ha v State of New South Wales [1997] 189 CLR 465, the
High Court of Australia was unanimous that the court had no power to
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overrule cases prospectively. It said at 504:
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“… If an earlier case is erroneous and it is necessary to overrule
it, it would be a perversion of judicial power to maintain in force
that which is acknowledged not to be the law.”
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92.
Ha was concerned with a state law imposing tobacco
wholesalers’ and retailers’ licence fees and the issue was whether the
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licence fees were duties of excise within section 90 of the constitution and
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fell within the exclusive power of the Commonwealth Parliament. It held
by a majority that they were. Ha was not concerned with the question
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whether there was jurisdiction to recognise as temporarily valid otherwise
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invalid laws or acts in order to preserve the rule of law. So we do not
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regard it as an authority against making the Order. Lord Hope of
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Craighead in Spectrum at para. 68 said he did not think Ha could be taken
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as the last word on this issue.
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93.
It was also tentatively suggested that since a stay of the effect
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of the declaration was possible pending appeal, it was unnecessary for the
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judge to make the Order. He could have stayed the declarations pending
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appeal.
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94.
When important constitutional points are involved, and where
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it is legitimate for the parties to want a determination by the Court of Final
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Appeal, it may be that the court can stay the effect of the declarations
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pending appeal. If the judge had stayed the 1st declaration pending appeal,
it seems that Mr Dykes would not complain. However, there was no
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